A new bill could finally ban predatory inmate phone costs

March 8, a bipartisan group of US Senators introduced the Inmate Calling Technical Corrections Act that aims to restore federal authority to crack down on what prison reform advocates call the “usurious,” “abusive,” and “exploitative” business practices of a small handful of companies that dominate the $1.2 billion US prison phone industry. For Sen Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), who introduced the bill, addressing the problem of predatory prison phones rates is a practical, as well as moral, imperative. Numerous studies dating back decades have shown that family contact and communication reduces recidivism, making society safer and saving taxpayer money.

At a time when lawmakers are focused on big-ticket issues like infrastructure, Sen Duckworth and her Senate colleagues face an uphill battle to push their bill through Congress. (Sen Duckworth introduced a similar bill in 2017 that didn’t even make it to the floor for a vote.) But the fact that the new bill has gained the backing of Sen Rob Portman (R-OH), a conservative Republican, shows that the measure has the potential to attract even more GOP support. A companion bill in the House could be introduced as early as the week of March 12.