Prison phone companies fight to keep high rates for calls from incarcerated people

The US communications regulator is reviewing requests from prison phone companies to reconsider new rules that would lower the cost of calls for incarcerated people. These companies want to maintain their current pricing, which often makes it difficult for incarcerated individuals to stay in touch with their families.

For years, families of incarcerated people have paid extremely high rates to stay in touch, sometimes hundreds of dollars a month. These new rules aim to cap those rates, making communication more affordable. The phone companies are now pushing back, arguing the caps are too low and will hurt their business.