Prison Phone Justice

Officers
Interim Chairperson
Judith L. Lichtman
National Partnership for Women
& Families
Vice Chairperson
Karen K. Narasaki
Asian American Justice Center
Secretary
Barry Rand
AARP
Treasurer
Lee A. Saunders
American Federation of State,
County & Municipal Employees
Executive Committee
Barbara Arnwine
Lawyer’s Committee For
Civil Rights Under Law
Arlene Holt Baker
AFL-CIO
Marcia Greenberger
National Women’s Law Center
Linda D. Hallman
American Association of
University Women
Mary Kay Henry
Service Employees
International Union
Mark Perriello
American Association of People
with Disabilities
Benjamin Jealous
NAACP
Michael B. Keegan
People For The American Way
Floyd Mori
Japanese American Citizens
League
Marc H. Morial
National Urban League
Janet Murguia
National Council of La Raza
Debra Ness
National Partnership for Women
And Families
Terry O’Neill
National Organization for Women
Jacqueline Johnson Pata
National Congress of
American Indians
John Payton
NAACP Legal Defense and
Educational Fund, Inc.
Dennis Van Roekel
National Education Association
Anthony Romero
American Civil Liberties Union
Thomas A. Saenz
Mexican American Legal Defense
& Educational Fund
David Saperstein
Religious Action Center for
Reform Judaism
Shanna L. Smith
National Fair Housing Alliance
Joe Solmonese
Human Rights Campaign
Randi Weingarten
American Federation of Teachers
Elisabeth MacNamara
League of Women Voters
Warren David
American-Arab AntiDiscrimination Committee
Compliance/Enforcement
Committee Chairperson
Karen K. Narasaki
Asian American Justice Center
President & CEO
Wade J. Henderson
Executive Vice President & COO
Karen McGill Lawson

September 6, 2012
Marlene H. Dortch
Secretary
Federal Communications Commission
445 12th Street, SW
Washington, DC 20554
Re: Ex Parte disclosure pursuant to 47 CFR § 1.1206(b) in CC Docket 96-128 and BO
Docket No. 12-30
Dear Ms. Dortch:
On September 4, 2012, the following individuals met with FCC Chairman Julius
Genachowski and his staff, Michael Steffen, as well as Wireline Bureau Chief Julie Veatch:
Wade Henderson, President and CEO, Corrine Yu, Managing Policy Director, The
Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights; Kay Perry, Director, Equitable
Telephone Charges Campaign, Citizens United for the Rehabilitation of Errants (CURE);
Lee Petro, Drinker Biddle & Reath, LLP, pro bono counsel for Martha Wright, et al.; amalia
deloney, Associate Director, Center for Media Justice Matt Wood, Policy Director, Free
Press; Madura Wijewardena, Director of Research & Policy, National Urban League; Lisa
Navarrete, Vice President, National Council of La Raza; Sherwin Siy, Vice President of
Legal Affairs, Public Knowledge; Bonnie Grabenhofer, Executive Vice President, National
Organization for Women; Cheryl Leanza, Advisor, The Leadership Conference and United
Church of Christ, OC Inc.
Mr. Henderson expressed his gratitude for the meeting and the strong concern of the civil
rights community regarding the astronomical rates for telephone calls to and from prison.
Mr. Henderson emphasized the important opportunity of the Federal Communications
Commission to assist the Obama administration’s efforts to combat recidivism. He
highlighted the extraordinary meeting of minds between progressive and conservative
leaders in the letter to Chairman Genachowski last May. Mr. Henderson told the Chairman
that the large coalition’s goal was to get action at the FCC by the tenth anniversary of the
original Wright petition—in March 2013. In order to make this date, Mr. Henderson
emphasized that a notice of proposed rulemaking is necessary no later than mid-October.
Ms. Perry explained that Citizens United to Reform Errants (CURE) and their lawyers and
allies have been working on this issue for more than a decade. They have provided a wide
range of detailed pleadings and arguments in the docket and engaged thousands of people
over the years and many more in the recent months. They are expecting progress and a
message from the FCC: they deserve a clear date by which they can expect action.
Mr. Henderson explained that the groups present had met with all the other Commissioners
who all see the merit in this issue, and are waiting to see what the Chairman will do and
whether they will have a draft order to review. Mr. Henderson explained that it is simple
common sense and a matter of public safety to ensure that prisoners are successful members
of society when they are released.

September 6, 2012
Page 2 of 2

Mr. Petro emphasized the need of his client, Martha Wright. She is blind and elderly. Her grandson is in
prison and has been transferred all over the west, from Lorton in the DC area to Ohio to New Mexico to
Arizona. She is disabled and cannot travel to see him. He stressed that his client has been waiting many
years and that the FCC’s failure to publish in the Federal Register Ms. Wright’s alternate proposal has
caused an additional procedural delay at this time. He also explained how a number of states around the
country have already worked to reform their rates, and that others are working on the issue now. The
FCC must act on federal, interstate rates, which will help with long distance charges and will also provide
a roadmap for states that have not yet acted.
In response to the Chairman’s expression of interest in moving ahead, Mr. Henderson promised the aid
and collaboration of the parties present. Further, Ms. Leanza and Ms. Deloney expressed the groups’
intent to continue to raise this issue in the minds of the public. Ms. Deloney described current efforts to
use the mass media, including a social action campaign tied to the upcoming release of a major motion
picture, to aid in the public’s understanding and activism on this issue.
Mr. Henderson then turned to another topic. He expressed his support for the current studies that have
been initiated to analyze the information needs of communities. He stressed that he believes every
agency has a duty to continue to find ways to serve underserved communities, particularly since the
Supreme Court’s Adarand decision. The need for data is tremendously important with the constant
attacks on any policy that could be attacked as affirmative action. Mr. Henderson asked the Chairman to
dedicate sufficient funds to complete the current study.
All those present expressed their appreciation to the Chairman and his staff and expressed their intent to
follow up with more particularity on the timing of action in the above-captioned dockets.
Sincerely,

Cheryl A. Leanza
Policy Advisor, United Church of Christ, OC Inc. and The Leadership Conference Education Fund
cc:

Michael Steffen
Julie Veatch
Patrick Healy
Deena Shetler