Sheriffs' Offices Warn Against Limiting Their Ability to Charge Prisoners for Making Calls
Sheriffs' offices from across the U.S. are pressuring the FCC to not impose inmate calling service (ICS) rules that would restrict their ability to charge for calls made from jails. Most of the letters use the same language asking the…
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FCC to proceed with care as it moves forward on ICS rules. “Inmate calling is a discretionary service in our jail and it is allowed for the benefit of inmates and their families,” said a letter from the Mackinac County Sheriff’s Office in northern Michigan. “If we are not permitted to recover the costs associated with the provision of ICS service, then we can and we may be forced to significantly limit or eliminate altogether access to inmate phones in our jail.” The office said prisoners are allowed to make calls 16 hours a day: “Denying payments to jails or restricting such payments to levels that do not at least cover our costs, will have the effect of reducing the incentive and ability to continue to allow ICS in this manner.” The filings were made in docket 12-375. The National Sheriff’s Association made many of the same points in a January filing. “Sheriffs incur significant costs in allowing ICS in jails and … must be allowed to recover their costs to encourage the deployment of ICS,” the association said. It said a higher rate for ICS services in jails is appropriate and there should be a “significant transition period” before new rules are imposed.