Phone Calls From New York City Jails Will Soon Be Free

People who end up in jail in New York City will now be able to use the phones there for free, after Mayor Bill de Blasio signed a bill into law that will eliminate the charge. The city had been collecting about $5 million per year from calls made by incarcerated people and their families. The billion-dollar prison phone industry has drawn increased scrutiny in recent years, and the move by New York City is part of a nationwide push from prison-rights groups, public defenders, and the families of those who are incarcerated to limit private companies from profiting off incarceration. New York is the first major city in the nation to make phone calls free.