Massachusetts is latest state to make prison, jail calls free of charge

Massachusetts joined the ranks of the few states that have chosen to make phone calls from jails and prisons free of charge, a move that advocates and officials say dramatically increases incarcerated individuals’ access to connectivity.

As of Friday, inmates and their families will no longer be on the hook to pay the high per-minute rates that private communications providers often charge as the sole contractor at secure facilities. Instead, the state will pick up the tab for all voice calls, including those made from landlines and wireless tablets, according to the text of the law.

It also prevents facilities from further restricting the number of calls that inmates can make, and specifies that calls and video visits can’t be used to replace in-person visitation.

Gov. Maura Healey, a Democrat, inked the law in mid-November after state Sen. Cynthia Stone Creem and Rep. Chynah Taylor introduced the legislation in their respective chambers. A similar proposal fizzled last year when former Republican Gov. Charlie Baker sent it back to the legislature and tied it to a criminal reform bill.

Massachusetts joins California, Connecticut, and Minnesota in waiving prison and jail calling fees. Some cities, including New York and San Francisco, have also decided to cover the cost of jail and prison communications. While interstate calling rates are capped at between 14 and 21 cents per minute on a federal level, in-state calls are not subject to the regulations.

“Financial exploitation in our carceral systems has created barriers for families and their loved ones to stay connected, for the sake of gains by the state and corporations,” Michael Collins, senior director of state and local government affairs at Color Of Change, said in a statement. “The passage of this legislation in Massachusetts sets a national standard for human rights for incarcerated people, a standard we urge other states to follow.”

According to the Prison Policy Initiative, a 15-minute in-state call placed from an average jail costs roughly $3—which can add up to hundreds of dollars a month for inmates and families often belonging to already-marginalized communities.

In addition to lifting financial burdens and helping inmates stay connected to the outside world—which has the proven benefit of reducing recidivism rates—some officials have also found that no-cost calling improves the dynamics inside jailhouses.

Dig Boston reported that San Francisco County saw a 41% rise in call volume after the state waived prison calling costs in 2020, with inmates spending 81% more time communicating with loved ones than in past years.

Kevin Fischer-Paulson, chief of custody for the San Francisco Sheriff’s Department, told the outlet that inmates got along better once they felt more connected.

“There’s less tension now,” according to Fischer-Paulson, “because if you’re worried about your case and you’ve at least talked it over with your mother, your wife, your brother, or your girlfriend, you are sharing some of your pain.”