FCC Chairman Highlights Need For State Action To Lower Inmate Calling Rates For In-State Calls

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai implored governors around the country to take action to ensure incarcerated individuals can maintain vital community connections by addressing the too-often exorbitant rates and fees charged for inmates to make intrastate phone calls. Chairman Pai and Brandon Presley, President of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC), wrote to the leadership of the National Governors Association to highlight this issue and focus the attention of state leaders on their unique power and responsibility to address this problem. The letter includes a list of every prison and jail in the country that, according to an FCC information collection, charged intrastate rates above the interstate caps in 2019, with some exceeding $20 for a 15-minute call.