Inmate Phone Rates: FCC Decision Allows High Costs to Continue
- Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr has postponed the implementation of rate caps on inmate calling services (ICS) until at least april 1, 2027.
- Carr's office stated the delay addresses "negative,unintended consequences" from the FCC's 2024 decision regarding Incarcerated People's Communications Services.
- FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez, the sole Democrat on the commission, strongly criticized the decision.
The FCC has delayed the implementation of Inmate Calling Rate caps – a move that will keep phone call costs high for incarcerated individuals and their families until 2027. Chairman Carr cited “unintended consequences” from the 2024 decision, but Commissioner Gomez decries the delay, arguing it ignores the law. This impacts families struggling to afford phone calls, as some jails even chose to shut down services rather than comply. News Directory 3 reports that the FCC’s postponement of rate caps is facing legal challenges. Expect more debate on fair pricing for inmate calls, but also on balancing affordability and security concerns. Discover what’s next in this ongoing story.
FCC Delays Implementation of Inmate Calling Rate Caps
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr has postponed the implementation of rate caps on inmate calling services (ICS) until at least april 1, 2027. The rate caps were initially approved last year when Democrats held the majority on the commission.
Carr’s office stated the delay addresses “negative,unintended consequences” from the FCC’s 2024 decision regarding Incarcerated People’s Communications Services. The FCC’s 2021 order, including rate caps, site commission rules, and per-minute pricing, will remain in effect until the new date.
FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez, the sole Democrat on the commission, strongly criticized the decision. She argued that it disregards both the law and the will of Congress, which mandated lower prices in the Martha Wright-Reed Act.
“Instead of taking targeted action to address specific concerns, the FCC issued a blanket two-year waiver that undercuts the law’s intent and postpones meaningful relief for millions of families,” Gomez said. She added that the decision shields a “broken system that inflates costs and rewards kickbacks to correctional facilities at the expense of incarcerated individuals and their loved ones” and indicated it would be challenged in court.
The prospect of price caps has drawn opposition from prison phone providers and correctional facilities that financially benefit from contracts with these companies. In Arkansas,one jail chose to discontinue inmate phone service rather than adhere to the new rate limits.
Carr stated that several institutions are limiting the availability of IPCS due to concerns about the FCC’s 2024 decision.He also noted “concerning evidence that the 2024 decision does not allow providers and institutions to properly consider public safety and security interests when facilitating these services.” Carr’s office said the delay is needed to “support the continued availability of IPCS for incarcerated people.”
What’s next
The FCC will likely face legal challenges over the delay. The debate over fair pricing for inmate calling services and the balance between affordability and security will continue.