Prisoner Letters to Fcc Re Prison Phone Rates 7-2012c
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This~is a public comment for the Wright Petition (CC Docket #96-128) /flg.:Doi!/Cf!/' a" 8:/?. g 0 I'o <PV vD ASP 406 North High Street Anamosa,Iowa 52205-~0 2012 - ·--- Received &Inspected JUL 2 5 Z01Z FCC Mai! Room Chairman Julius Genachowski Federal Communications Commission Public Comments --- ---- ----- --445 12th street,sw washington,D.C. 20554 ~· Dear Chairman Genachowski; I am an inmate at the Anamosa State Penitentiary and I am writing this letter in support of the Wright Petition (CC Docket #96-128). As an inmate,I and my family are being gouged with outrageous connection fee and per minute rates. I say my family as they are the ones who usually place the money on my telephone account. In Iowa,all inmates must make calls using the state owned telephone system. We are charged a $2.00 connection fee for all instate calls plus a per minute rate from 19¢ to 28¢ per minute, depending on the area code you are calling. When placing a call out-of-state,you are charged a $3.00 connection fee and 25¢ and up per minute. All calls are for 20 minutes. I am hoping that this letter will prompt your commission to make the State of Iowa lower both the connection fee and per minute costs for all inmates. Thank you for your time and attention to this support letter. Sincerely, l+ ll jl lj \I l tI! li ! ! Ii tj jI l! !I 'I ll 1I I I ,I :j,l .I tI H p II !l ! I m'. ~ ~ \\-od~ *(J;OtYDo67 t6~Cl Co~(~\O'()CL\ ~~ \i~ <iriS" 0£. ~~c_e_ Rd. . \6~0. \.L6 lo lo (o 0 l I €a.(' CJt\CX\f'f(\CU\ C0extQc.h6W0K\) m\-s \50... pub\\c.. C.0'ff\f0€.-n\ ~O( ~ Wf\~-t'?eA-\\-\cn tt.Doc.\<.ct \4. q LD- \ ()?$ Received & Inspected ~-~~~,~~~~,-~~~---"'+~.....-<\.~ -~~-,. ~ .. ........ JUL 2 5 Z01Z ..,,..,.·....__ DlfMl._fu~JuicJJ_a~-~-5;_______ --------·---··i=eeMatrttoorrr - --~·- --- ~ .__-----+---------·----------------..----------·--·--·-·---- ~----- ·----·-··---· -----~-~-------------~-----------~---------------- -----+--------------------------~---- This is a public co~~ent I for the Wright Petition (CC Docket #96-128) ' e:>Je.~ fJI De~ls. ioc;pY ~q ASP 406 North High Street Anamosa,Iowa 52205-1157 1 lfeeetved &lnsl'eeted JUL 2 5 201Z Fcc Mail Room 1 I 2012 Chairman Julius Genachowski Federal Co~nunications Co~~ission Public Comments 445 12th Street,sw Washington,D.C. 20554 Dear Chairman Genachowski; I am an inmate at the Anamosa State Penitentiary and I am writing this letter in support of the Wright Petition (CC Docket #96-128). As an inmate,I and my family are being gouged with outrageous connection fee and per minute rates. I say my family as they are the ones who usually place the money on my telephone account. In Iowa,all inmates must make calls using the state owned telephone system. We are charged a $2.00 connection fee for all instate calls plus a per minute rate from 19¢ to 28¢ per minute, depending on the area code you are calling. When placing a call out-of-state,you are charged a $3.00 connection fee and 25¢ and up per minute. All calls are for 20 minutes. I am noping that this letter will prompt your commission to make the State of Iowa lower both the connection fee and per minute costs for all inmates. Thank you for your time and attention to this support letter. Sincerely, Reeejved &Inspected ,. t....(\(A~ lLN\ 1\ N b s~o.. c{ 0 3\.\ (\ \.) s, ~ ?tlcAv4 ~c..e.. oF C- W So. ~JUl R.: 252012 FCC Mail Room ho-.~l~ O~~€.o.-jCC:..O~S o..M00~1~ roQ.. \~f\I\.f>.~~ coJ($ ho.,s b~~i~ ~oi'~ O~ 9c>~ j~Q..S_ S1-o..(2..\~ o.r -th~ COUN~i ~~ i \~ 9zs> MO~N~S.. l \2.-Z-.c.o-.t I ·1 h~ D~s lVbiC"'\~\2~\~~ \A2-\~t \N~ c"'~ 6-.Qj ~ G/~ G-b<e>u+ +hz.- I~f'-..~JS, c:>!= 'bol(D..Q~ IN 'RSY<;;...~-Je, +(,o-.~ +hz..j "'-"'~~ _~6<J ,h<>--\{Z-. T ~ 0.... S.~No{~,jE-- je?:.-F'sR... • . or CDoQ.-.s~ \~NI.~\.ss. ;~ CDUN''1 ~'> s H':-r- y ~o"'s -t V [,,-c ... 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Yo\ ce.~ _ Vi z.o..~ LC:"N\Ro.<z'-E:.. hou.-J (V)0C-~ o-ttn<Z=.fL ~T'cA+~ c:-ho..~\~ ~rz. l' hz-~~ Sze.'{ ,·cas. -.L ~ ~0-5) N ~ +\"0. +- -1 ~~ ~:s, McNb.-{ /'v\f\.K.£. e.. GR. ~~ '/ '2> + ~ ss. / 1-0-.)(. ~ N~ ~J ~~ o f l ~ ~ TE-S to £.E:..d .J- (:) C.o~ ~C3-.c.J- +hE-~ lL 'Loys.d 6~ s,s. - S;u L (3"QS 0... '(O-r-l 0. \{Z.0LJ ~-1 {Z.Dt-J MDt2~{.sS ('4'.. Received & Inspected JUt 252012 ~\ 7-/(0- 12 FCC Mail Room c..h;1('mo.l"I Gena.c.Ytowf::,).<i, ur un+i o..,o()(\d 2007 -Wte0a~5 Cl~ p'("r~ ~e.('e In ern lc.hiJan had been chaci~ I ex--6,-hO(\ \dze pr1tes -\1r Collect- fulTs. ihese be./(j +he o'{\\,-} +yp-e of calls ~. inmo..b We're aUou.>ecl -fc ma.ke . fu\s e:1)0cx..\--ed. 10 ~'f'O()nd 41 q. DO pe.(' )5 -- MInu+e. c..a.1I) Ocn6 ',-f 0'(1\>, ~Df t.UO('5e ,~ Ii- iAXl.6 10?J dls·hmc.e. Theve C06-to kl s+ricJ\( c* +he' ones who we needed 10 L.a.1/ J +hereby ~x p\c)\+t ~ DO, 1o veLl ones., .J:."-I- Wct6 lIke <+\r-,TS .(1, deca:1e fj) you j(.V\OLD ~I ~ +hew f)('Otit I'Y\(;trcJ1r15 had +0 be rn fu-e b~ III OilS-- o.('OLl0d 2007 M.l:J.o. c.. 6ro~ht ~y\ 0. ckb~+, 6)16+eff ~'ne.l("'e w.e could Pt'e.- fXt)' c.all-o" b('II(jI-(j +he prIce ~ fh CJ\JllizeJ QYY\O()(lt- of If) ¢ per m\flO+e Du+ ,(lOw SInce ~eY\, \)'6i~ :>ne e>(cvse or ClY10,~er) the.), helVe CD..1J6ed .fht '('Cl-\-eS ~ rOJse YIIC)her o..nd hljhef' t(jcti'n -(.:::c.+e (lOW ct+ 2Z ~( XYW,o-\-e~. 0.e Iilmo..-ks cto not- V\o..V€docd ftt)"(Y 00 be Ohct. \VI o('A)-(- 1-0 \4..e.e.p in cortbc..+- 0~+h ou. lo'-led ones {beb0es \A){'I~<:J \e~eB wy,;~ -kke.v clQ)''D)- +hi'6 OtUu5-t r"c.e .\'o..tls ~') +heIr bu,den/ ---rrllmk '100 ~, )'O()(' +HY1-e, V~ (P To: Chairman Julius Genachowski Federal Communication Commission Received & Inspected JUl 25 ZOlZ FCCMaHRoom Public Comments 445 12TH street S.W. Washington, D.C., 20554 From: Nathan Dallas Brightman #781425 Washington state Department Of Corrections stafford Creek Correction Center 191 Constatine Way Aberdeen, WA, 98520 Re: Wright Petition (Docket 96-128) Dear Chairmen Genachowski, I am writing in regards to a petition that is going around in the prison systems regarding the extremely high costs of the phone call charged to inmates and their family. I have been in prison for over 14 years, and in the time I have been incarcerated myself and my family has had to have spent 30,000$ dollars on the phone. I have a very supportive family that enjoys the conversation that we have, and are willing to go with out things they need in order to budget for a phone call that costs ten times that of a normal phone call. The fairness is evidently not there. As an inmate, I make 32¢ and hour, and have to work eleven hours just-tb have a twenty minute phone call with my children. Even if I wanted to take the burden of the bill from the ones that I love, the pay scale in prison does not allow me to do Page 2 • so. The people that support irunates are the ones that pay taxes every year. They are the men and wanan that work in your community, serve you and your family at the stores your frequent. They are WE THE PEX)PLE. They should not be punished for the love they have for a family member that was imprisoned. The cost of keeping in phone contact with a loved one in prison is just that, a punishment. But it is a punishment for the law abiding citizen that has a love and loyalty to family. The phone companies know that love will drive a brokenhearted mother that is struggling to pay for medication, to pay an exorbitant price to hear that her son is safe and alive. There is not much fairness to that, or to the fact that these companies are rewarded for preying on the emotions of people by being able to inflate the prices year after year. The system needs a new face and stronger regulations to protect people from the companies that monopolize markets that restrict irunates from seeking better deals or lower prices. Thank you for your consideration in this matter. Sincerely, Nathan Dallas Brightman #781425 THURSDAYflORNING I~m TUL~ JO/l ~'OOAfI\ FROM: MR. Mtchael A.,. Gal/Jes £DCF - CtNtral Po tL DORADO - CENTKAL A2-/07 £1- DOKAJ)O) KANSAS t70fJ -03// (31') - 3J/- 7J.84 Received &Inspected 0. Box 3 JJ ,1';', ? 52012 tl Dorado) KaNsas t 701J. -031/ FCC Mail Room TO: Cha:rmJN JUII~1J5 GeNdchowsK,o Fe4eral CcJrltYIJVNICa t/~oN5 Comf11iss/~ N Publ tc Com meNLs 445 12th Street SW Wash/~tNJ DC cl0554- ftJ> S lJPIbR~ rr,"sotJ phD/Je JiJst,"ce c amra~ N !tDeal" ~ C6;ilY\a~ Ge~acboW5k~ )J ;tJGH"ce~atJ ~tJ the. Sup,ermax fL the. fJ)CF-C IN ,EJ dorad ~ Kallsas serVt~ ItJ.(gwe hOlld~ S Jxty -two) n'lOllthsj L ve bta dow; s;;'ce JJJOS) howeve (' I was arresteJ /tJ l1af.. d.~ 02/)O'/. The. S JII'[e <e.tsf1?'S1 ~o/Je calIs were ,QlJtJze Sebw1"c.K 'Gu/fy DeieN 1Mw F10/;If ttJ Wit ;td) KJllSas. afl1 currwLr ace UrN <I time :t.J 1980 whetJ Southwesknl &11 vias til BIlS/~e.£) d-FPordd~le. Fad -h,rward the dJSfWtt%~ the IlJdusfrla11rlsoN Gmplex, III f1}oderll dar era has beet.J CoN'tfo/IJd bv,lt ~Y CCIIV;~ts a~d pr/~dlJer:: fa ~i 11e..s aN1 love olieS • kith JKtJ also kill dNd fr,eNis. Bv their .f,NaNcIal supportllq aNd 'Urx-paVlIlq d()Uars the p&1Je .c.3I& 0 were f~.: 2} by su ffortl5 ih~& of us Jt1 priso"!i wheJJ etcepi~l/q diJir~egiJS aspevst"ve fhoNe calh ~d~deJ ~ 'Mid serv:ces or paded ·~ a11d ca.sts.'J ~sas DepartmeNt of Grre.c~to!JS provtder ~r COIIV/Ct .-&let,hoNe Sf11//'Ce . IS /0'1 BA RQ._ a11d aIso f reF' J coilk i esiabl ,.s heJ oN/IN e Ji JAMW.JCStJiut CorY/ 1 are. exsfllsive, fvr exam /e, £MBAKQ NEW CI.J.JlNG RAllS COlL£C Tht: cai/J pari! ~;J/ 11oi be d~~1.eJ ;wy ~ei- uft o(' p,.,cess ,., feeS by Efl'l bJ.j 355b CtJie¢ wtih c~ fleet JCCOIIJ/-I:a reraui Pre - paiJ co//ec.i accov,is IYL&f afso be.. se--Lp oN/,'ue ai JltJ CfJS t ., the state plans to return all out-of-state prisoners within 4 years. "Due to realignment, the implementation of the inmate classification score system, and other infill projects ... all offenders will be returned to California," the report said. "This plan eliminates the use of all out-of-state contract facilities by 2015-16." The CDCR report noted that "Upon full implementation of this plan, the elimination of the out-of-state contract beds will result in a reduction of $318 million General Fund and over 400 positions from the department's budget." According to the report, the outof-state prisoner population would be reduced to 9,038 by 2012-13; to 4,969 by 2013-14; to 1,864 by 2014-15; and to 531 by 2015-16, with a complete phase out by the end of 2016. CCA has a significant stake in California, as the state accounted for 13% of the company's total revenue in 2010. Thus, CCA has courted California lawmakers mainly through donations to their election campaigns. From 2003 to 2010, CCA officials and the company's Political Action Committee contributed over half a million dollars to political candidates, incumbents and parties in California; the majority of those funds went to 75 candidates between 2008 and 2010. Despite such corporate largess, the anticipated CDCR contracts that CCA touted in its November 8, 2010 press release ne)ler came to pass. Unable to fill it~ Prairie Correctional Facility in Minnesota, CCA was forced to keep the prison closed; it had been shuttered in February 2010 after Minnesota and Washington State pulled their prisoners out. The company had hoped to reopen the 1,600-bed facility by stocking it with California prisoners, but not only did that not happen, it now looks like CCA will lose its existing contracts with the CDCR to house approximately 9,500 out-of-state prisoners. This will have a negative impact on CCA's revenue but will be a positive step for the thousands of prisoners returned to California, who will be closer to their families. "The California experience shows that states can save money and maintain public safety by carefully reducing their prison populations instead of paying private for-profit corporations millions of dollars," said Don S~cter, director of the Prison Law Office. ,. Sources: Minnesota Independent, CCA press release, Sacramento Bee, http://californiawatch. org, www. insidecca. com Head Q)mez By: Eugene Weems limothy Richardson Dead? Pac Dead? Proof Dead? 'Who gets hit next in this game of killers for hire? Send $14.95 +$3.95 S&H Universal Pub Box 1432 Ama.zon.Com D1xon, CA 956?0 Check out the new Upocale Pen-Pal ISBN: 978-0-~1-7 ~.0. Site for those with style & Swagger $29.95 for 1-year membership IncarceratedBachelors-PenPals. com PO Box 1432, Dixon, CA 95620 SMITH'S GUIDE to HABEAS CORPUS RELIEF for State Prisoners under 28 U.S.C. Example pleadings from the initial habeas corpus petition to the for a writ of certiorari. guide you step-by-step the federal courts with 380pages. $24.95 + $6.95 shipping & handling. InCA add $2.18 sales tax. Sent via USPS media mail Money orders, personal or institutional chKks ONLY. Send $31.90 (InCA, $34.08) payablE' to Roberts Company Send name, addre>s, prisoner It, and payment to: Roberts Company, 15412 Electronic Lane #1 01 Huntington Beach, CA 92649 Also available on Amazon. com WILLIAM L. SCHMIDT Jttorney at ,{gw Have you been seriously injured? Wrongly convicted? Denied parole? Accidents § Appeals § Police Brutality Fetieral • State • Local Civil Rights, Writs, Parole Hearings, Transfers, Clas.sification, Visiting, Medical Provitiin~]ustice Throu~hout California by Plane 377 W. FALLBROOK, SUITE 207, FRESNO, CA 937II P.O. Box 2500I, FRESNO, CA 93729-5001 le~alsch~itit~g?nailco~ 559·261.2222 . l.:iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii-iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii_ _ _ _ _ _:~.,_.'l,, ... Prison Legal News 29 July 2012 Texas Prison System Increases Prisoners' Monthly Phone Mi.nutes by Matt Clarke n 2007, when Texas became the last state in the nation to let prisoners make Iphone calls on a regular basis, the limit on phone usage was 120 minutes a month. [See: PLN, Nov. 2007, p.ll]. Two years later the Texas Board of Criminal Justice (TBCJ) responded to requests by prisoners' families and doubled the monthly phone minute allotment to 240. In 2011 the Texas legislature considered, but ultimately did not adopt, an amendment that would have increased the number of minutes to 480; regardless, the limit on phone usage was upped anyway. Not surprisingly, Texas officials have not increased the number of phone minutes solely for the benefit of prisoners and their families, for whom phone calls are a primary means of communication. Rather, the reason for allowing additional phone minutes is strictly financial. The legislature needs to plug a large budget deficit and money from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) phone system is an attractive source. £.urrenfu, phone calls from Texas state prisoners cost $.234/minute for debit m-state phone calls ($.26/minute for collect or prepaid) and $.387/minute for debit out-of-state calls ($.43/minute for collect _pr prepaid.J_ WhiTe tfiose rates are significantly less than those charged in other state prison systems, they are still higher than rates paid by the general public. Of course the state gets a hefty kickback from the TDCJ phone contract - 40% of the gross revenue, with some of that money earmarked for the Crime Victims Compensation Fund. Thus, the more calls that prisoners make, the greater the amount of revenue and the greater the kickback to the state. This led Rep. Jerry Madden to introduce an amendment to Senate Bill 1 (2011) that would have increased the number of allotted phone minutes to 480 per month, by amending Texas Government Code§ 495.027(d). "This is an easy way to raise money for the state," said Madden. Complicating the revenue-generating rationale behind increasing the number of allotted phone minutes is the fact that many prisoners do not even use 240 minutes per month. This is likely due to restrictions placed on the TDCJ phone July 2012 system - for example, prisoners can only call up to ten people included on their visitation list, who must go through a bureaucratic registration process. Additionally, phone calls to cell phones are not allowed; thus, people without landlines are unable to receive calls from prisoners. Still, providing prisoners with more phone minutes, regardless of the motivation of state officials, is beneficial and conducive to increased communication between prisoners and their families and friends. Unfortunately, Rep. Madden's amendment to increase the number of phone minutes to 480 was excluded from the final enrolled version of Senate Billl. The bill did include a provision to charge Texas prisoners a $100 annual fee for medical care, replacing the prior co-pay system; that change went into effect in September 2011. [See: PLN, April 2012, p.24]. Despite the demise of Rep. Madden's amendment, the TDCJ decided in midMay 2011 to modify the phone system to let prisoners make up to 500 minutes of phone calls each month. Calls are still limited to 15 minutes each, and the other restrictions described above still apply. If the restrictions were changed to decouple TDCJ prisoners' phone number lists from their visitation lists, and to allow calls to cell phones, revenue from the prison phone system would likely skyrocket despite the costly per-minute rates.,. Sources: Texas Tribune, www.prisontalk. com, http: 1/gritsforbreakfast. blogspot. com, www. tdcj.state. tx. us, www. texasprisonphone. com Oklahoma Taxpayers Foot $13.5 Million Settlement Bill for Sexual Abuse by Jailers by David M. Reutter T he general public typically shows little concern about abuse and corruption in jails and prisons, at least until it affects them personally. That was the case when residents in Delaware County, Oklahoma attended a November 2011 meeting of the County Commission and learned they may face an increase in property taxes to satisfy a settlement in a lawsuit that accused county jailers of raping and molesting female prisoners. "We alleged the sheriff permitted his jail to be a sexual romper room," said R. Thomas Seymour, an attorney representing 15 former female prisoners who were held at the Delaware County Jail (DCJ). The women were incarcerated between 2005 and 2010 on charges that ranged from drug and alcohol-related offenses to assault and larceny. Seymour's law firm, Seymour & Graham, with the Garrett Law Office, had previously represented female prisoners who were sexually abused by Custer County, Oklahoma Sheriff Michael Burgess, who was convicted and sentenced to 79 years in prison. [See: P LN, March 2012, p.24; Sept. 2009, p.36; May 2009, p.l). 30 At the center of the Delaware Coul}ty allegations were DCJ Administrator Lonnie Hunter and jail volunteer Bill Sanders, Sr. The lawsuit alleged that Hunter and Sanders had raped and sexually groped female prisoners when driving them to doctor appointments or while the women were in their cells or shower areas. It also claimed other jailers would "bargain" with prisoners to expose their breasts in exchange for food, cigarettes, candy and personal items. Sheriff Jay Blackfox was accused of covering for his employees and ignoring prisoners' complaints. "I did not cover up anything," said Blackfox, who was elected in 2004. "I would not have tolerated any type of sexual misconduct out of my staff." Sheriff Blackfox acknowledged that he received a letter of complaint in 2008 from female prisoners, which he said he immediately turned over, along with witness statements, to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation. An investigation was opened and a report sent to Delaware County District Attorney Eddie Wyant. Citing insufficient evidence, Wyant declined to prosecute at that time. Prison Legal News