The Federal Communications Commission voted yesterday to raise the maximum prices that prison and jail phone services can charge inmates and their families.
The 2–1 vote with Republicans voting to raise the limits came with a dissent from Democrat Anna Gomez, who said the new rates will be “almost double in some facilities.” A new inflation factor will allow rates to rise further.
“The FCC once again is going above and beyond to address the unsubstantiated needs of monopoly providers to squeeze every penny possible from families that want to stay in touch with their loved ones,” Gomez said at the FCC meeting. “Throughout this order, the FCC chooses to reward corporations with money taken from vulnerable families.”