An Open Letter to State Broadband Leaders on Digital Equity for Incarcerated People

The prison communication industry is dominated by two companies—Securus and ViaPath. Together, they serve the vast majority of jails and prisons. Bundling of services is standard practice: devices, communication services, payment services, and even ownership of the inmate networks. Political indifference, limited competition, service bundling, contract lock-ins, and poor infrastructure have all been part of a systemic failure to provide affordable and quality communication for the incarcerated and their families. This failure also comes at a terrible social cost: Video calls between incarcerated people and their families reduce reconviction up to 31 percent, especially for those whose families are too far away to visit in person. Communication between people with mental health issues and their support system is critical to their stability and well-being. Secure and private communication is essential for individuals to connect with their legal counsel and exercise their civic rights. Ameelio submits the following recommendations on how to bring affordable, accessible, and quality connectivity behind bars. We hope they are helpful as broadband and corrections teams work together to deliver digital equity to the incarcerated people in prisons, jails and detention centers across the country.

[Dan “April” Feng currently serves as the Chief Operating Officer of Ameelio, a non-profit startup that connects incarcerated individuals and their families through low-cost and cutting-edge technology.]