Families of prisoners have hang-ups over high phone bills
By: Import User
Updated: January 7, 2009
Families of prisoners in Arkansas want the state to lower the cost of accepting collect phone calls from
inmates. The state Department of Collection has a contract to charge $6.60 for a 15 minute local call and $17.30 for a 15-minute out-of-state call. The money must be paid by the inmates` loved ones. Some of them are now saying the charge is exhorbitant and punishes families for trying to help rehabilitate members who run
afoul of the law. Other states have changed their contracts for telephone use in the prison system to lessen the charges, but Arkansas takes in about 3.5 million dollars a year from the calls. The department says it needs the money to be able to give inmates 100-dollar checks upon their release, which most other states don`t do. The money also goes toward computer, security and facilities improvements.
