When you’re locked behind bars, nothing matters more than a phone call. And while much attention has been given to the exorbitant rates and hidden charges for phone calls from federal and state jails, the cost of calls from city and county jails remains unaudited, preventing many inmates, most of whom are on remand, from communicating . with loved ones or lawyers.
The average cost of a call from prison is more than three times that of a call from prison, according to a new report this week from the nonprofit research organization Prison Policy Initiative. It’s much higher in some states: in Michigan, a 15-minute call from jail could cost as much as $22, while a call from state prison would cost just under $2.50. In Illinois, a typical jail call is more than 50 times more expensive than a call from state prison.
How Illinois Did It
Outraged by the phone charges at his local county jail, Brian Dolinar, an Illinois history professor and freelance journalist, decided to take action.
Dolinar and a group of attorneys successfully lobbied Champaign County Jail officials to renegotiate their service contract and lower phone rates. He then turned his attention to the state prison system.
See also:
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- High cost of medical co-pays in prison puts health at risk
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- How to spot hidden costs in a ‘free’ tablet contract
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- The Company Store and the Literal Tied Market: Consumer Law in Prisons and Prisons
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In this important article, James Kilgore addresses some of the myths that stand in the way of effectively tackling mass incarceration.
What about my house?
A prison sentence does not cancel a lease or a mortgage. Depending on whether you rent or own, you have several options.
- Rent. If you are renting, you should consider terminating your lease or subletting your home while you are incarcerated. While you may not want to do this if you’re only in jail for a month, it may be better to pay a fine to end your lease early if you’re in jail for a longer period of time, so you don’t have to pay rent while in jail to count.
- owner. This is more complicated and depends on being able to continue paying your mortgage while incarcerated. A custodial sentence may mean you no longer receive money, but a home annuity means you still have to pay the money. If you are financially unable to continue paying your mortgage while you are in prison, you should consider renting your home to someone else, or contact your mortgage lender to see if there is a way Lower your payments during your incarceration prison.