The cost of keeping in touch with loved ones through incarceration can be overwhelming. There are new rules that limit these prices. Deb has been working on this issue since 2000, and we’re all happy to see progress.
Our friends at the UCC Media Justice Ministry have put together this handy guide on the FCC’s new rules.
The FCC’s safeguards include:
- New rate caps for voice and video communication in prisons, jails, immigrant detention -including international rate caps
- Banned ancillary add-on fees
- Banned site commission payments
- Mandatory consumer disclosures on publicly available websites and in monthly billing statements
- Accessible services
Most of the FCC’s consumer protection rules went into effect on January 1, 2025. Most jails in the country must comply by April 1, 2025. While there are some exceptions when the rules will go into effect later this year and in the first half of 2026, families, loved ones, clergy, counsel and incarcerated people should see marked cost reductions if they haven’t already. The FCC’s rules require capped per-minute fees across the board and no other fees. We strongly encourage advocates and families to start reviewing their invoices to see what they are paying. If rates are over the rate caps, you should see a consumer disclosure about a site commission. If you don’t see that, the next step is to review provider contracts to see whether the contracts have change-of-law provisions (described in the guide). These provisions are common and mean the FCC’s earliest deadlines apply.
