FCC Cuts Inmate Phone and Video Call Costs

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has voted to significantly reduce the costs of phone and video calls for inmates in U.S. prisons and jails. This change will lower charges for hundreds of thousands of families facing high communication bills. New rate caps will benefit around 2 million incarcerated individuals.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted Thursday to substantially reduce the costs of phone and video calls for inmates in U.S. prisons and jails. This decision will positively impact hundreds of thousands of families who have long dealt with exorbitant communication costs.

According to the finalized rules, the cost of a 15-minute phone call will be drastically lowered to $0.90 from previous rates as high as $11.35 in large jails. Smaller jails will see a reduction to $1.35 from $12.10. Additionally, the FCC is introducing the first caps on video phone calls, cutting them to less than a quarter of their current prices and prohibiting extra fees.

Approximately 2 million people are currently incarcerated in U.S. prisons and jails, all of whom stand to benefit from these changes.

(With inputs from agencies.)