Op-ed: Illinois should make prison calls free

A huge hurdle to keeping incarcerated people in touch with their families was lifted in Massachusetts earlier this month when the commonwealth became only the fifth state to make prison and jail calls free.

This is significant and should be emulated here in Illinois, as well as throughout the country.

Progressive Mass, an advocacy group that supported the law change in Massachusetts, estimated its state Department of Corrections was charging inmates 12 cents per minute, while most county sheriffs charge 14 cents, and that’s before additional charges such as account fees or video call fees. Overall, families in Massachusetts were spending nearly $14 million a year just to communicate with each other — mostly because there is no competition between private communications providers who contract with secure facilities.

The bottom line is that for many inmates, it is unaffordable and thus impossible to communicate regularly with family on the outside. This may be harmful not only for the incarcerated family member, but it can hurt the entire family, especially the children of the incarcerated.

Because of the high cost of jail and prison calls, inmates are often forced to forgo calling their families or must choose between calling their families, doctors, lawyers, or any other outside resources. For their families, the choice is sometimes between paying rent or buying groceries and being able to accept collect calls to connect with an incarcerated loved one, which is a painful decision no one should be forced to make.

Most people who are incarcerated are low-income and thus cannot afford the cost of these calls. Just as importantly, most of the families of the incarcerated are low-income as well because their main provider may be locked up, and the cost of these calls only adds to the family’s financial burden.

While many in the public may feel that those in jail or prison do not deserve any mercy, these are not people we can throw away. Most are not serving life sentences, and a vital key in reducing recidivism is helping those in prison maintain connections to family so that they may ultimately become productive members of society. Put another way, these men and women need to keep in touch with their families so that they have a reason to come home.

There has been a lot of research conducted over several years to show many benefits from regular communication between incarcerated people and their families. Communication with support systems can inspire people to reengage in their own rehabilitation and lower tension and violent incidents inside, which can create a safer environment for both incarcerated people and correctional staff. Communication also helps people prepare for their release, helping them to secure housing, employment and more. Moreover, communication benefits the entire family, especially parents, spouses and children. For example, 1 in 28 children with an incarcerated parent does better at home or in school when they are connected.

It is also important to note the disparity in who is affected by these policies. In Massachusetts, 21% of the state’s overall population is Black or Latino, but its population in custody is 54% Black or Latino, according to Progressive Mass. Additionally, Black and Latino children are more likely than white children to have a parent in prison. If you take a look at what groups have the most difficulties battling poverty, you will not need an economics degree to see that more often than not they are the same demographics that are disproportionately incarcerated.

The law that just went into effect in Massachusetts also prevents facilities from restricting the number of calls that inmates can make, and makes it clear that calls and video visits can’t be used to replace in-person visitation. California, Connecticut and Minnesota also waive prison calling fees. New York City and San Francisco have also decided to cover the cost of jail communications.

In San Francisco County, once inmates were allowed to call their families for free starting in 2020, there was a 41% rise in call volumes, with 81% more time communicating with loved ones than in past years, according to Dig Boston.

Free calls for the incarcerated and their families can be a good thing and I applaud the Massachusetts legislature. I also urge other states, including Illinois, to take a hard look at implementing similar policies in their own prison and jail systems. By making prison calls free, parents, children, siblings and spouses can support each other regardless of whether they are behind bars or in a free society, and in the end we should all benefit from that.

Attorney Jeffery M. Leving has dedicated his career to safeguarding children and reuniting them with their fathers. He has written three acclaimed books: “Fathers’ Rights,” “Divorce Wars” and “How to Be a Good Divorced Dad.” He also is a recipient of a 2023 Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award presented by President Joe Biden.

Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email [email protected].