I appreciate and support rehabilitation programs for incarcerated individuals and agree that preparing inmates to successfully matriculate back into society should be a priority. I can appreciate that family and community connections are beneficial to inmates’ psychologically and emotional well-being.
However, I believe an important question must be addressed before implementing a system of completely free phone calls for all inmates: How would the correctional system prevent abuse or corruption of unlimited free communications (even if it is 20 minutes per inmate per day)?
For example, what safeguards would be in place to prevent inmates from using free phone privileges to harass victims or witnesses, engage in criminal enterprises, conduct fraud schemes, intimidate others, or misuse the system in other inappropriate ways? Additionally, how would correctional facilities manage excessive use of limited phone resources to ensure that all inmates have fair access?
While I support expanding affordable communication opportunities and reducing unnecessary financial burdens on families, any policy providing free communication should also include appropriate oversight, monitoring, reasonable limitations, and accountability measures to ensure that the system is not abused and that institutional safety and public safety remain protected.
I believe that striking a balance between encouraging rehabilitation and maintaining the security and integrity of our correctional institutions is imperative.
What safeguards are in place now to prevent inmates from using free phone privileges to harass victims or witnesses, engage in criminal enterprises, conduct fraud schemes, intimidate others, or misuse the system in other inappropriate ways? None of those issues would be exacerbated by a change in whether calls are free or charged. There is already appropriate oversight, monitoring, reasonable limitations, and accountability measures to ensure that the system is not abused and that institutional safety and public safety remain protected.
Phone resources are a limited commodity today so that is an issue that would result in expanded phone resources being necessary.
What safeguards do we have in place to prevent prisoners from using state-issued tablets to attend community college classes and harass on-campus students?
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I appreciate and support rehabilitation programs for incarcerated individuals and agree that preparing inmates to successfully matriculate back into society should be a priority. I can appreciate that family and community connections are beneficial to inmates’ psychologically and emotional well-being.
However, I believe an important question must be addressed before implementing a system of completely free phone calls for all inmates: How would the correctional system prevent abuse or corruption of unlimited free communications (even if it is 20 minutes per inmate per day)?
For example, what safeguards would be in place to prevent inmates from using free phone privileges to harass victims or witnesses, engage in criminal enterprises, conduct fraud schemes, intimidate others, or misuse the system in other inappropriate ways? Additionally, how would correctional facilities manage excessive use of limited phone resources to ensure that all inmates have fair access?
While I support expanding affordable communication opportunities and reducing unnecessary financial burdens on families, any policy providing free communication should also include appropriate oversight, monitoring, reasonable limitations, and accountability measures to ensure that the system is not abused and that institutional safety and public safety remain protected.
I believe that striking a balance between encouraging rehabilitation and maintaining the security and integrity of our correctional institutions is imperative.
Aren’t all calls from the jails/prisons recorded?
What safeguards are in place now to prevent inmates from using free phone privileges to harass victims or witnesses, engage in criminal enterprises, conduct fraud schemes, intimidate others, or misuse the system in other inappropriate ways? None of those issues would be exacerbated by a change in whether calls are free or charged. There is already appropriate oversight, monitoring, reasonable limitations, and accountability measures to ensure that the system is not abused and that institutional safety and public safety remain protected.
Phone resources are a limited commodity today so that is an issue that would result in expanded phone resources being necessary.
What safeguards do we have in place to prevent prisoners from using state-issued tablets to attend community college classes and harass on-campus students?