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Securus: call rates and kickbacks

Securus (and its subsidiaries T-NETIX, and Evercom) currently provides telephone services in 18 states:

StatePays kickbacksKickback amount in 2019Cost of 15 min callState rank for affordability
Alaska yes $1,164,059.910000 $3.750000 44th
Arizona yes $1,783,475.770000 $3.600000 43rd
Arkansas yes $2,504,327.050000 $4.800000 48th
Connecticut yes $5,090,732.250000 $4.867500 49th
Florida yes $5,156,269.190000 $2.100000 31st
Georgia yes $8,062,200.600000 $2.400000 35th
Illinois no None $1.050000 17th
Kentucky yes $None $5.700000 51st
Louisiana yes $3,044,009.330000 $3.150000 43rd
Maryland yes $4,390,071.000000 $3.150000 Noneth
Massachusetts yes $2,388,145.590000 $1.500000 24th
Missouri yes $1,542,524.850000 $0.750000 10th
Nevada yes $5,000,000.000000 $2.100000 31st
New Mexico no None $1.200000 21st
New York no None $0.645000 8th
North Dakota yes $97,856.120000 $1.185000 20th
Pennsylvania yes $3,470,852.000000 $0.885000 13rd
Rhode Island no None $0.435000 2nd

Primary Source Contracts

Ohio

Illinois

Arkansas

Texas

Maryland

Arkansas

Kentucky

Iowa

Indiana

Illinois

Idaho

Arkansas

Arizona

Florida

New York

Rhode Island

Connecticut

Utah

Nevada

Connecticut

Massachusetts

Missouri

Connecticut

Missouri

Alaska

Illinois

Alaska

Georgia

Alaska

Georgia

New Mexico

Illinois

Georgia

Florida

North Dakota

Missouri

Washington

Illinois

Arizona

Alaska

Washington

Illinois

Texas

Colorado

Pennsylvania

Illinois

North Dakota

Alaska

District of Columbia

New Mexico

North Dakota

Missouri

Louisiana

Kentucky

Illinois

Florida

District of Columbia

Alaska

 Prison Phone Justice Articles and Documents

2021

Sonoma County Jail Inmate Telephone and Commissary - Grand Jury Report 2020-2021

September: Letter to Governors Cuomo and Hutchinson Regarding Affordable Prison Communication Services

April: California Public Utilities Commission - Ruling Denying PPI Motion to Compel GTL to Respond to Data Requests 4-27-21

March: Comments of Prison Policy Initiative Before the Iowa Utilities Board 03-18-2021

2020

August: 

FCC Public Notice Re Acquisition of Legacy Inmate Communications by Global Tel Link 2020

Agreement between the City and County of San Francisco and Global Tel*Link

July: Report and Order on Remand and Fourth Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, Federal Communications Commission, 2020

April: Letter to FCC - Protect Incarcerated People, 2020

April - Covid-19:

Letter to US Conference of Mayors - COVID-19 phone costs, 2020

Letter to National Governors Association - COVID-19 phone costs, 2020

Letter to National Sheriffs' Association - COVID-19 phone costs, 2020

February: 

Edovo - Section J Rates and Fees

Securus - J Section Rates and Fees

ICSolutions - Section J Rates and Fees

Jaunary: GTL - Section J Rates and Fees

2019

Highest 2019 Reported Charge for a 15-Minute Call by Facility Location

October: HRDC joins application to file amicus brief in re county inmate telephone services case in CA, HRDC files joint amicus brief

April: HRDC press release on Securus/ICSolutions merger

2017

August: HRDC accuses FCC chairman of having conflict of interest

2016

April: PLN criticizes non-disclosure of Securus employee at FCC hearing on cell phones

January: HRDC's FCC comment mentioned regarding price gouging prisoners' families, Comment regarding prison reforms, HRDC's letter to the FCC mentioned regarding VA DOC's phone rate reduction

2015

October: FCC reforms applauded by HRDC's Campaign for Prison Phone Justice, HRDC's FCC comment on corruption in prison phone industry profiled

January: HRDC's FCC comments mentioned in article on video visitation

2014

November: PLN mentioned in article about FCC action on prison phone rates

October: FCC Second Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking

September: HRDC comment to FCC regarding WA phone rates, FCC Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking

January: HRDC response to PayTel comments, HRDC response to FCC caps on prison phone calls

2013:

December: Prison Legal News cover story on the prison phone industry, HRDC comment to FCC on Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking

September: PLN/HRDC mentioned in article on FCC prison phone order

April: HRDC reply comment to FCC on Notice of Proposed Rulemaking 

March: HRDC comment to FCC on Notice of Proposed Rulemaking

January: PLN's research on prison phone rates cited in article on FCC hearing

2012

December: FCC Notice of Proposed Rulemaking

October: HRDC response to Global Tel comments 

2011

April: Prison Legal News cover story on the prison phone industry

2007

ApriL: HRDC initial comment to FCC 

 

 

 PLN Coverage of Prison Phone Justice

FCC Slashes Prison and Jail Phone Rates, Caps Video Call Cost, Eliminates “Site Commission” Kickbacks

Loaded on Oct. 14, 2024 published in Prison Legal News October, 2024, page 1
Filed under: Telephone Rates, Video Visitation, Federal Funds, Private Phone Contractors, Securus, Global Tel*Link Corp. Location: United States of America.

On August 26, 2024, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) published its final rule in the Federal Register, formalizing rulemaking that the agency issued the previous month which significantly reduces the cost of phone and video calls made by people held in prisons and jails nationwide. It is the latest development ...

Nevada Supreme Court Holds That Violating Jail Phone Policy Does Not Waive Attorney-Client Privilege

Loaded on Sept. 15, 2024 by Douglas Ankney published in Prison Legal News September, 2024, page 54
Filed under: Attorney Client, Attorney Calls. Location: Nevada.

by Douglas Ankney
When a jail is found to violate a detainee’s Sixth Amendment expectation that communications with his attorney are privileged, courts often shrug it off as harmless; after all, the detainee won’t raise the objection unless what was discussed could undermine his defense, and in that case courts ...

Washington, Virginia Advance Bills to Make Prison Calls Free

Loaded on July 1, 2024 published in Prison Legal News July, 2024, page 23
Filed under: Telephone Rates. Locations: Virginia, Washington.

Lawmakers on both coasts of the U.S. sponsored legislation in January 2024 to make telecommunications free to state prisoners and their families. This follows a national trend to ease the financial burden on families with incarcerated loved ones and reduce the associated risk of reoffending for those who can’t afford ...

Los Angeles County Makes Jail Phone Calls Free

Loaded on June 1, 2024 published in Prison Legal News June, 2024, page 19
Filed under: Telephones, Telephone Rates. Location: California.

On December 1, 2023, phone calls became free for detainees and prisoners in Los Angeles County jails. The county’s Board of Supervisors voted 5-0 on November 22, 2023, to amend the existing phone service contract with ViaPath Technologies—formerly Global Tel*Link (GTL)—to shift the cost of calls from the county’s approximately ...

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