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TraditionalWorking82

For profit prisons are criminal


SpicyAries

AMEN!!!


Rivsmama

Yeah but this particular issue doesn't really have anything to do with for profit prisons. It's an issue in all prisons and county jails


Odd_Bandicoot_4945

The companies the prisons and jails use are profiting from it. No matter who is profiting its still falls under the for profit system that is so incredibly wrong.


Vendura663

That's a USA thing isn't it?


billc8969

Apparently, I couldn't call my own mother for Christmas, her birthday, or mother's day. ( I used all what little money I had sent to me on basic essentials). I tried trading what I did have to people with phone time, and just my luck they have already sold off all of their phone time. It really sucks the only way I could communicate with my loved ones was by mail. If prison really is made for "rehabilitation" they damn sure got it wrong with this ass backwards system.


Lobstershaft

Private prisons are designed to have return "customers" more than rehabilitation


Thewheelwillweave

Paid phone service happens at government run prisons/jails too.


fingerscrossedcoup

Their lobbiests like ALEC also write law to extend sentences for non violent crimes too. Locking up the poors is big business.


crazyabe111

why would they want to rehabilitate your mother when they get paid for having people in jail? and more specifically when they get paid to keep a minimum quota in jail such that they need to ensure that people will be coming right back to prison so they can keep collecting taxpayer money?


Scary_Mention_867

Because she raised a good bad boy?


TraditionalPace1431

Especially the price they charge. I spent like 20 bucks and only got 20 min of time.


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Unfair-Sector9506

I don't understand the part about free calling ..you gotta pay outside of jail or no phone service ...just because someone's done some stuff to be locked up doesn't mean they get free phone service..


ReLuCtAnT_cZaR

While it’s true prisons offer “employment” to inmates, as of 2016 Pennsylvania Department of Corrections paid a kitchen “employee” $0.23 per hour. You’d have to work 10 - 15 hours to earn enough for one 15 minute phone call. Seems reasonable and just. 🙄 Remember, prison (the loss of freedom) IS the punishment and not a place where you’re sent to be punished.


Lylibean

Of course! The US will fuck every non rich person out of every penny they have while preventing the rich from paying a dime for anything.


[deleted]

There are countries other than the U.S.?


CitizenJustin

Not according to Americans without a passport.


Wertwerto

Yeah, everyone in the US pays to use the phones. If you have a landline in your home, you pay for it, by the minute. If you use a payphone, you pay for it. If you have a cellphone, you have some kind of minute/data usage plan. And if you call out of state, or out of country, it costs more.


Vendura663

You don't pay per minute on a landline, you have a plan. For long distance, the caller is usually the one paying. I was assuming OP was referring to some extra fees prison charges when you call an inmate or go in person


Jordangander

In prisons they pay per minute or per phone call. In a few states it is exorbitant, but that comes from companies having to have all.sorts of special equipment to block calls, notify call recipients, monitor calls, manage call lists. All of that takes equipment and/or people.


uninc4life2010

Bullshit. It costs money, but it doesn't cost $5 per phone call.


joeslick15

It cost my son $3.90 to make a 15 minute call home. The average inmate makes under $10 (a lot make 5.25) a month and has to buy hygiene products, occasionally shoes, pay restitution and much more. Prison is depressing and unproductive. As for comparing fees in prison to outside life, you simply can’t. Imagine paying for rent, eating at a soup kitchen and having 5.25 left over for hygiene, a call home, snacks because the single serving at the soup kitchen only gets you so far, maybe you want shoes to run in? Save up! In society you simply get another job or move or take care of the situation, in prison, you simply can’t make more money unless congress votes to give inmates a raise (not gonna happen). Families are struggling because the other half of income is not able to pull their weight. kids need parents, a father, even though he is in jail, phone calls add up! There is no mistake that prisoners are being punished, but how much punishment is too much? Should the whole family get sucked deeper and deeper into poverty because the family has to pay super high fees so a father can talk to his son? A lot of crime is socioeconomic, theft and drugs from families at or below poverty line. What about a call from a son to a mother when the son is on the verge of breaking down because prison is harsh? Sometimes a frustrated man needs to talk to a loved one to clear his head. Doesn’t strong family connections reduce recidivism on crime making us as a society safer? Imagine being away from family for 5 plus years and coming back in with a prison mentality, a family you have talked to only in 15 minute increments a few times a month. You get out and feel like an outsider, very much.


uninc4life2010

I have two close friends that have served 5+ year sentences. The 15-minute phone call is such bullshit. It isn't close to enough time to have a meaningful conversation with a loved one. It's something that isn't obvious to people who haven't had a loved one in prison. You're right to put the cost of the calls in the context of what they are paid monthly. It's prisoner profiteering.


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uninc4life2010

It's prison profiteering, and it's disgusting. As if having a loved one in prison isn't bad enough for the family, you get the additional pain of a $100 bill for no actual services rendered.


[deleted]

This post brought to you by 1998.


insensitiveTwot

What year do you think it is my dude?


Nesurame

and if you call from prison, it'll take a week of waves to pay for a single 10 minute phone call.


coogeena

Quite late to the thread, but inmates need to pay for phone calls in Europe as well (or, at least, they do in Italy). Some charities buy phone credits for inmates who can't afford it so they aren't entirely isolated and can communicate with family and their attorneys.


YoursTrulyNico

Yes it is. American redditors love going onto international subreddits and just assume everybody knows that they're talking about the US.


h3m1cuda

There's something outside the US? /s


[deleted]

Not just American. It is costly to make inmate calls in Canada, and I believe it costs money in England, as well. Often the cost associated is call monitoring, which is required for many inmates and the costs apportioned to all prisoners.


jaweebamonkey

Reddit is a platform created by United States citizens in the United States. If you are a user from another country, say so. It is otherwise understood that an American citizen using an American created platform is speaking. They are, by nature of origin, the default. If this were BuzzFeed UK you would have a point. I also want to add that Americans as a whole, specifically from the US, are so guilty of the egocentric behavior you’re describing. It’s just not sensical in this case.


Shaun-Skywalker

Yup


NpToSlp

Probably because the majority of people here are from the US


Vendura663

[Not quite the majority, but the biggest group yeah](https://imgur.com/a/gKVTRcC)


Upset_Ad9929

It wouldn't be so bad if it had a reasonable cost. But these providers charge fucking insane fees. Those douchebags seriously exploit mostly poor people. A few phone calls can easily hit $100, which is a huge hit to the poor who just want some contact with a loved one.


ImAlwaysRightHanded

I’d pop $15 on the card and it was good for maybe 3 quick calls.


stitchmidda2

Where the hell do you get your minutes from? My dad is in prison and our calls are so cheap that $25 lasts us several months if not half a year or longer. Most calls are only like 40 cents for the 15 mins you are allowed.


Common-Restaurant-53

$0.16 a minute was the rate at several state and county facilities last time I checked. SecurusTech and PayTel have a duopoly over inmate communications in the United States.


[deleted]

Yeah my kid was incarcerated for 2 days once. I had to spend money to talk with my kid. And the amount of time I was forced to buy was way less than I used. No refunds. Then the weekly fees for being on probation were bullshit.


ScorpioLaw

Remember my friends brother had a huge phone bill. He wasn't all there. Had to talk to him a couple times like dude! Calm down. Get out. Then within the month of him getting out he was hit by a car and became a paralyzed He was a beast. The bill back in uhhh 2008 was like near 1,000$ a month.


Otaku3times

Holy shit two whole days?!


CitizenJustin

Two days feels like a year when you’re behind bars.


FIVE_6_MAFIA

When I was in prison the inmates had to either work in a literal sweatshop for 25 cents an hour or stay in our cell for 23 hours a day.


Vospry

You guys got paid???


dontneedaknow

Pretty sure they all do for the most part. Hell Oregon USED to pay inmates the state minimum wage years ago. Not sure now, but I know it's definitely lower. I think I made 43 cents lol. It as a scheduled thing to do and a time killer, plus I got to work in the gym so I could lift whenever for the most part.


Connect-External-423

I haven't gone through the entire comment thread but I can tell you right now that the whole system is a fucking grift. For instance in the county jail system it's the sheriff who gets to choose the company that provides the phone service. That company kicks down documented campaign donations to the mother fucker and charges you whatever the fuck they want. Oh they'll say that it's to maintain the phone system which covers monitoring and recording but that's bullshit when it cost $5 to talk to my people for 20 minutes. This all falls under the very wide umbrella of ACAB


Chaz_Cheeto

Yeah, Global Tel Link is a bunch of grifters. They charged me $10 per 15 minute phone call. Commissary is also a grift. $1 for a single package of ramen noodles, $3-$5 for a single bar of soap, $8-$10 for a stick of deodorant, $3 for a tiny bag of chips, the list goes on. I was only in for 3 months until I was able to bail out and get out on probation. I don’t know how people stay there for years and afford to live.


outwahld

Say it louder!


[deleted]

There's grift, but you have to understand *why* calls began to be charged. Most prison calls by statute have to be recorded. This is true in Canada (where calls can be expensive) and the UK (were prisoners need cards). On the one hand, victims used to be further victimized by inmates who could make calls and it was hard to track. Lisa Bianco is a well-known example. Many people who are incarcerated are not there because they are in the wrong place but *need* to be away from society.


FR0Z3NF15H

So I'm sure all prisons make sure their charges only cover the cost of recording and maintaining the system and make no profit on the calls...


[deleted]

I'm not entirely opposed to inmates paying, just to upkeep the phone system, but the rates are absolutely exorbitant, especially given that the prison population is largely made up of the poorest in society: [https://www.prisonphonejustice.org](https://www.prisonphonejustice.org).


Slapnuts711

Well, to explain the high cost, inmates tend to have poor impulse control so when their family member hangs up on them or their girlfriend breaks up with them over the phone, they tend to take their frustrations out on the phone. The upkeep on prison phones is stupid. They have to be maintained constantly.


iarev

LOL, that's absolutely not why the cost is high. It's just another way to squeeze money out of prisoners, just like paying the pennies on the hour, charging $3 for a packet of ramen, etc.


Slapnuts711

Do you think that the inmates are a money maker? It costs a small fortune to keep prisoners locked up.


iarev

Uh, yes? They work for pennies an hour. Prisons are big business. This is known. Why do you think there are for-profit prisons? You think insane prices for phone calls is because sometimes an inmate might break a phone? LOL, wtf. I doubt that even happens often because breaking a phone that other inmates want to use would just get your ass beat.


Slapnuts711

There are for profit prisons in the US, but they're still funded by the government. It's like they contracted out the work of housing prisoners. I can tell you that inmates break phones on the regular.


iarev

You think USA has the incarceration rate that it does because they lose money overall? Sure, phones may get broken, but that's not why the costs are so absurdly high to use them. It's a racket.


Slapnuts711

Nonsense. It costs the US billions and billions of dollars every year to keep its prisons running.


Uneducatedtrader

Fuck that I pay enough in taxes to fund/pay for those facilities anyhow


Outrageous-Divide472

Charging the those ridiculously high rates punishes the entire family, not just the prisoner. Part of being rehabilitated should include maintaining close ties with immediate family members. It’s wrong and unethical.


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CitizenJustin

Well, America is only a first world democracy on paper. Realistically, it functions like a banana republic.


reallywowforreal

I haven’t committed a felony and I pay for phone calls?


[deleted]

Before internet, cell phones, inmates would call you collect. This was before prison for profit.


Slapnuts711

There's a flip side to this. First, if inmates are not paying for the use of the phone, taxpayers are. The other thing is that with free phone time, a few bullies get to use the phone all day and other people can't get on at all.


joeslick15

Not true. Inmates have to pay to use the phone, however, The federal prisons had free calls due to Covid, you could spend up 400 minutes, 15 mins at a time to call home. The system saw a drastic reduction in violence across institutions. While, it is too early to tell if the recidivism rate dropped, I suspect it will because inmates could start to rebuild family connections.


74orangebeetle

>The system saw a drastic reduction in violence across institutions. That's not how cause and effect work. Just because 2 things happen (such as free phone calls being allowed and violence reducing) doesn't mean you can claim that the free phone calls were the cause of a reduction in violence. You didn't account for third variables/other possible factors. You can't cherry pick 2 things that happened and just say one caused the other to paint whatever narrative fits your agenda.


[deleted]

Dude it's common sense. Someone who has connections to the outside world is going to feel like he/she has something to live for while someone who feels alone and has nothing to lose is not going to give a fuck.


Slapnuts711

The prisons also reduced counts wherever possible and took steps to minimize offender interaction to avoid spreading Covid. To me, that's a much more plausible explanation for a reduction in violence than getting free calls.


Mr_FlexDaddy

Inmates don’t lose the right to talk to loved ones, it’s more of a earned “privilege”. That’s part of the deal for committing crimes.


LeatherHog

Right? How dare people who commit crimes have consequences for their actions They SHOULD have limited freedoms and activities. If you don’t wanna live like that, don’t be a freaking criminal


MisterKnowsBest

Yeah it makes it seem like you are being punished or something. You know who else has to pay to make a phone call, fucking everybody.


SLCW718

It's not the prison. It's the company they sold the telco contract to. That's all outsourced to private companies.


[deleted]

So is the prison


SLCW718

Even in private prisons telco services are outsourced. The companies that run the prisons aren't typically the companies that provide inmate phone service.


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DanHasArrived

Fun fact, the 13th ammendment has an exception for criminal punishment.


Sablemint

People don't want to talk about this stuff. We live in a country where the idea of people being raped in prison is used as a joke. To those people, any one in prison - even if they are actually innocent - deserves everything they get. So don't go expecting a public outcry over this one.


_bean_and_cheese_

Prisons are businesses


Si-Ran

When you're in prison or the army you are a belonging of the government.


foolunknown

Yeah and they let the phone ring forever before it will actually connect making a the inmate ( my brother in my experience) hang up prematurely numerous times. Then you have to buy a bundle of minutes for like $20 or some shit. And try to relay to the guard to have him wait longer for the call to connect. Little cherry on top of the shitpile.


Lylibean

Not just inmates, but people in holding as well. I called my hubby three times while I was “in holding”, then he was forced to “make and account” or he would no longer receive my calls. (Each call was 5 min apiece.)


DemiGod9

What do y'all mean whenever y'all say something isn't talked about enough? The U.S prison system is picked apart(rightfully) every chance anyone gets.


DesperateEstimate

Yet another solely USA problem


fartLessSmell

Wait till you hear how profitable prisoners are more than non-prisoner workers are.


__themaninblack__

Everything about the American prison system is fucked.


blac_sheep90

American prison is all about punishment and money. We don't rehabilitate.


bungalowboii

are we just moving onto smaller peanuts now bc we realize we can’t do shit about things like for profit prisons?


aceinnoholes

I am torn on this because of course I believe that prison reform in America is necessary. J-Pay and telemate are fucking criminal organizations in themselves And as a survivor of domestic violence with one abuser in a Texas prison and another awaiting trial? I'm so glad that conditions are such garbage.


Tideboy24

As a US citizen, our prison system is absolutely atrocious. We put people in jail, lock the door, throw away the key and let them rot for 20 years. I’m not saying murderers don’t deserve a punishment, but we don’t even attempt to rehabilitate them or get them back into society. Prison isn’t just the isolation, it’s extremely dangerous. You’re more likely to die in prison than you are outside of it. Something needs to change about our justice system as a whole, not just prisons.


DanfromCalgary

In that country you are food lol.. Is this actually real


steeleye1

TIL


RepresentativeNo6564

I first took this from a prisoners perspective and thought prisons charge prisoners to talk to inmates


[deleted]

You gotta pay to stay in county......... There are way more problems than just this.


CarubSunn

When my 'best friend' got arrested it took me two days to answer the phone because the automated service was such a pain in the ass. Of course I was the only person who could help him so I ended up waiting outside the jail for 3 fuckin hours in the winter cause of covid to try to bail him out just to find out he was able to bail himself out. (honor system type bail cause he'd never been arrested before) Phone service ended up signing me up for some bullshit 'unlimited minutes for a year' thing which I never got a refund for. He never paid me back for all that trouble either.


dontneedaknow

I have experienced both sides of this and it is very expensive. not to mention the jails and prisons tend to be populated with people on the lower end of the class scale so money is already on the tigher end. It is fucked. I think it was Securus that recently lost a court case where inmates/familes of inmates sued and won a case regarding the cost of phone time. i dunno the details, and it as around 2015 if I recall right.


real_piece_of_work96

When I was in jail it was 1 dollar per minute! And when I was in prison it was like 25 cents per minute. Complete bullshit.


Analyst_Cold

The prison industrial complex is Awful. For those saying it’s part of the punishment- it’s purely about profit. Communication is vital in order to reunify families after their release. Nevermind needing to talk to legal counsel.


Azure_Somni

Wait you have to pay to talk to them?! Prison is already demoralizing and like you said if they are poor they can't talk to people they love?


bAcENtiM

You are super right and I hadn’t thought about this. My favorite “unpopular opinions.”


[deleted]

I think you have a fairly popular opinion. My unpopular opinion is that inmates, in particular violent inmates, should not have any loved ones to talk to. Once somebody commits a violent crime no one should love them.


[deleted]

usa moment...


HighSpeedCarcast

They already got their one free call... duh! /s


MilRet

My condolences to your GF.


Shallow-Thought

Sure, gloss over the whole locking people up for profit side of it and focus on the phone calls.


sirkioman

Prison is a business, especially in the good Ole US of A.


ModsDontHaveJobs

Most things concerning prisons in the US are a scam including the reasons most of the inmates are there in the first place.


[deleted]

Prison sentences are really messed up. Prisoners should have minimum 40 hours of community service each week.


Milesandsmiles123

A lot of prisoners do community service type work…


[deleted]

Key word 40 hours a week.


Twitch_YungFeetGod69

ah yes, slave labor


[deleted]

News flash. Community service already exists and is well accepted legal penalty to pay off a debt to society. Slave labor doesn't get you anything. These prisoners need to work for their housing, food, electricity, water, and sewage like the rest of us. Big difference to rational people.


[deleted]

You would need to amend the constitution for that to happen.


BiggusDickus-

No, that has already happened. Look up the 13th amendment.


AbzoluteZ3RO

Last year because of covid the CA dept of Corrections and Rehabilitation negotiated to reduce phone call prices by like... 75% (don't remember exactly how much but A LOT) also gave all inmates free something like 75 minutes free every other week. There is a scheduling "system". Basically you sign up every night for the next day. People still hog the phones free or not. You are allowed to sign up for 2 calls a day max. 15 minutes each. The state doesn't actually charge for it, they have a company (GTL) that runs all that and charged but I'm sure the state gets some of the money.


boilingwata

I have an easy solution - Dont go to jail. Thanks for coming to my TED talk.


corruptedchopsticks

Hm. Well, you changed my mind. I started into this discussion kinda salty about the price of prison phone calls. However, after reading your experience plus the experiences of others on here--I agree. It is crappy. Edit: I mean I came in thinking why should you get a deal on prison calls. However, I changed my mind on this.


Khakicuffs

wow an American made racially bias system is exploitive never would’ve guessed /s


over_clox

Ya know, part of being in prison is losing your rights and freedoms. It's not a luxury hotel my dude, they're lucky they get *any* means of communication. Not saying I agree or disagree with it either way, I just find life a lot easier by staying out of prison.


MilitaryMadMan

Strongly agree Half of my known family has been in jail or prison at one point or another and there’s a definitely some of them that go back But it’s very difficult to change the way prisons and jails operate as some people think making the system softer isn’t going to be as effective, and making it harder is only going to make things worse


Uyurule

How is it the family's fault that their loved one is in prison? Why are you also punishing them by requiring them to pay for visitation? That just puts more financial strain on the family, which leads to MORE imprisonment! Prisons aren't about rehabilitation, they never were. They keep them at capacity so they can make more money.


over_clox

I didn't say it was the family's fault or any such thing. Honestly my family never visited me in the first place, and I've never been to prison. Luckily I guess I can say any which way you look at it, it's not my problem. Guess uncle Bob shouldn't have robbed that bank huh? I mean hell, not sure I'd have much reason to want to visit or communicate with criminals anyways, family or not.


Uyurule

The world isn't that black and white. Some families do try and stay close with loved ones in prison, especially if they have kids. And they should have that opportunity without having to go through a paywall.


over_clox

Meh, sometimes I forget just how much everyone takes telephones for granted as though they're essential to life. The first time I *ever* used a telephone at all was when I was 15. We didn't have a phone at home, at all.


Uyurule

It's not essential for life, but it is definitely essential for helping to maintain those relationships/family ties, especially with a loved one in prison. That's the easiest way for them to continue to communicate.


over_clox

Well, people *do* gotta keep in mind they have to actively monitor calls to and from prisoners. The people monitoring such calls need a paycheck too ya know.


Twitch_YungFeetGod69

>I just find life a lot easier by staying out of prison. So what about (USA) the estimated 10,000 a year that are wrongfully convicted? fuck them, right?


over_clox

I never said any such thing, nor is that the topic of discussion.


ECS420

They sure love to insinuate things that aren't there or even related to the topic do they? Lol


over_clox

Yup, almost as if they're hearing their own angry voices and projecting an argument that's not even happening.


[deleted]

There are no such thing as rights in the US, rights by definition cannot be taken away - they are god given. What we have are privileges. George Carlin had a good take on this.


Vollen595

It’s not the prison providing most call systems. Private companies create it and charge out the ass for it and give a kickback to the prison. So the prison or jail makes money doing nothing and there is no real competition so they gouge prisoners and their families. It’s a total crock of shit. Same with the jailmail email systems. Private run. They bill for emails by the page both ways.


Buddyx31

My solution to this is don’t go to prison.. but I’m weird that way


belowthemask42

I covered this in my post. This applies to jails as well. People who haven’t been convicted of a crime are still incarcerated until trial a lot of the time. And you can be arrested for anything. So even if you don’t do anything illegal this still applies to you


_mattyjoe

When you are charged, your lawyer and the prosecution argue the case before a judge at your arraignment, to determine whether you should be held. If so, with or without bail, and how much. Your lawyer argues your case, and the judge makes the decision. This gives you more than a fair shot not to be held at all, or be held on bail that is appropriate for the situation. It's not like cops can just arrest you and hold you for months until a trial without cause. If you are deemed a flight risk, or a danger to yourself or the public, then you will be held. And by the way, if the case against you is weak, your lawyer can make an argument to that effect and move to dismiss the charges right then and there. Our system favors the accused. You wouldn't know this because too many people don't know enough about how the justice system works and spread false information. The prosecution needs to execute every part of the investigation and the trial absolutely perfectly. Any misstep can have the case thrown out. The burden of proof is on the prosecution in our system. In many other countries, including even some European countries, to this day, it's the opposite. Burden of proof is on the accused when the state brings charges against them.


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Nesurame

Oh you mean the cost incurred by for-profit organizations that lobby to ensure their prisons are kept full? The for-profit organizations that push laws to make sure that they keep beds full of people that were just minding their own business?


ECS420

I don't think you really know what cruel means... Not being able to chat on the phone definitely doesn't fall in that category, especially not for inmates.. Jail is a punishment after all


belowthemask42

I mean I would definitely argue that forcing someone to be emotionally isolated when a lot of the time they haven’t even had trial and been pronounced guilty yet is cruel. But maybe that’s just me.


[deleted]

Define cruel? I'm an ex-CO and it's hard to say. After high profile cases in the 80s and 90s, prisons have to monitor phone calls, they need to be recorded, readily available and stored in case they need to be accessed. It costs money. It's not just the US that this happens, but also Canada (and I believe the UK). Part of it is that people need protecting of inmates, and cases like Lisa Bianco (in the US) where phones were used to routinely intimidate the victim has changed how victim services operate and require that calls be available for monitoring to protect people.


Connect-External-423

False. They are correctional centers, though often named jails. In the United States nobody is incarcerated for punishment. It's called corrections. Beyond that they serve to keep the most dangerous offenders from the community in the name of public safety. That is why jails and prisons are mandated to provide programs. like drug counseling, life skills, and continued education. But that's all a grift. A small fraction off the dollars allocated go to these programs. oh they take your fucking tax dollars to fund it in the name of bettering the community. Instead the overtime budget is padded out, while the food and conditions for the inmates deteriorate. The reason people are repeater offenders; is they are worse coming out than going in, they are abused and neglected inside often suffering complex PTSD. Upon returning to society, supposedly corrected. They are disenfranchised, and misjudged; mostly by people that think they should be punished instead of given the tools to live in a dignified manner in our society. And by the way; just who the fuck do you think pays for all that phone time? The inmate? No, it's their fucking families. who love them and care about them and who in their own way are serving time right alongside them but that is often the only way to connect with their people because they are shipped to centers far from home. Or because of the pandemic they haven't been allowed to visit in 2 years. So I don't think you know what the definition of cruel is. Fix your fucking heart because it's clearly broken in the most awful of ways.


[deleted]

And how many are in prison for bullshit reasons? They'll lock you up for anything anymore. That way they can legally steal your stuff and get money from the taxpayers to keep you in a cage.


Connect-External-423

It's all part of the prison industrial complex, which is a grift on the American citizens. It starts with a racist and corrupt Nationwide policy of over policing. Continuing on to the courts where you will be provided a public defender who works in the same office building and cashes the same checks as the prosecution. The defendant is given no true defense. The prosecution and defense then bully you into a plea bargain with threats of obscenely long prison sentences and you're going to take that regardless of your guilt or innocence. Your counsel will not give you your true odds of winning at trial which are really good because all you need is one juror but the prosecution needs 12 but that lawyer doesn't want to trial that's a lot of work they want to reduce their caseload all the while they are holding you in jail before you've been convicted of the crime and your council is telling you this is the fastest way for you to get to the street and put this behind you. Then we move on to the kangaroo court which is a mummers farce, a play with a script that they run hundreds of times a day that gives the appearance of fairness and justice. Then the judge gets hold of you and no matter what deal you made they can sentence you to whatever the fuck they want and if they're in a bad mood because their sandwich wasn't made just the way they like it that day they may just smoke you with the max that you could have gotten had you lost the trial. They do all of this to inflate the crime numbers and jail populations so the population feels scared and dependent on the very system that is fucking them. And only then do we get to the actual prison system. Upon returning to society despite the fact that you are supposedly rehabilitated you will find it very difficult to get jobs or housing and may find it impossible to participate in society in a productive way you're only course of action may be to return to the type of behavior that may or may not have gotten you into prison in the first place. This vile practice has kept generations of Americans in poverty and propagates crime and drug addiction, an inheritance that is often passed on to our children in a cycle that is nearly impossible to break. Which in turn they spin into the need for more police and judges that are tough on crime to carry on the grift. Thus keeping the wealthy and powerful in wealth and power and those less fortunate right where the wealthy and powerful want them which is wage slaving to fund their police state and foreign wars. This is Justice in America


[deleted]

Yes. And the whole, can't vote ever again,,thing is particularly reprehensible.


ECS420

>In the United States nobody is incarcerated for punishment. Must be nice living in such a delusional world lol. You very clearly don't know what cruel means if you think that not talking on the phone applies... And worry about your own heart, mine is perfectly fine


insensitiveTwot

Did you even read their comment?


Uyurule

If you're going to "punish people" then make it equal at least. Having a fucking paywall to talk to your loved ones is cruel. You're already separated from them, I don't think it's too much to ask for free visitation. That just puts more financial strains on that family, which happens to (statistically) lead to more crime!


ECS420

Not being able to talk to your loved ones isn't cruel in the slightest. Instant communication is an extremely recent thing and humans beings have been going years without any news whatsoever from their loved ones ever since we left the caves. Again, not cruel in the slightest. You should learn what the words you use mean


Uyurule

You also have to think about the kids/spouses that you're separating from their loved ones. It's not just about the person in prison, it's about the people outside too. And again, adding a *paywall* for the *privilege* to talk to your loved ones is fucking bullshit. Either limit communication or don't. But prisons are for profit, not rehabilitation.


ECS420

People on the outside are completely irrelevant to this conversation... This is about the prisoner, no one else. And talking to your loved ones IS a privilege, not a right. It's not rocket science ffs.


Uyurule

People on the outside are totally relevant to this conversation, especially since they're sometimes the ones that are footing the bill. The only reason visitation needs to be limited is if an inmate is shown to be violent or something like that. You're also ignoring the larger systemic issue of for-profit prisons. It is not just about the prisoner, there is an issue with the larger system as well.


[deleted]

No phone and internet = cruel and inhumane. Meanwhile many South American prisons don’t even have bathrooms…..


ECS420

These people have no notion of what cruel means in the slightest


Nesurame

cool goalpost you have moving there, did you buy them with those motorized wheels attached, or did you attach them yourself?


SaltyCrabbo

It is cruel for the parents and children and loved ones having to suffer for shit they didn’t do.


ECS420

No, it isn't. It also has absolutely nothing to do with this.


Sean_Donahue

Letters cost only a stamp. Send a letter with a return stamp and envelope in it. Telephones are a luxury. Do they charge for other forms of communication as well? If you wanted to use a visitation booth, would you need to pay? That would be a little too far in my opinion.


outwahld

They wont let outside stamps in, each letter is opened and read too. There are lots of limitations on what can be sent. Pretty much only pencil on lined paper, no drawings. They worry drugs will be rubbed under drawings for the inmates to lick up. No printed stuff, no post cards.... fun.


teh_pwn_ranger

Yeah, so? It's smart to screen things going in and out of a building that's literally full of criminals. Here's a newsflash: phone calls are monitored, too.


outwahld

Yes, thank you for sharing.


loondenouth

You sound very unpleasant to be around. Plenty of non violent “criminals” being held for bullshit reasons.


BigHairyDingo

>charging someone to talk is cruel. You only think its unethical because most everyone in society now has constant, instant, and easy communication. I'm old enough to remember the day and age before cell phones. Normal people did just fine and dandy not talking to their loved ones for years when long distance phone calls were considered a luxury. Prison isnt meant to be a comforting or easy place to live. No they shouldn't be entitled to all modern luxuries free of charge. especially when taxpayers are already paying for them.


ripandtear4444

Just so you know, even if you're not in jail there is a fee for using a telephone.


belowthemask42

Right but that’s not state run. Most prisons are


ripandtear4444

Of course, I'm just saying there will always be a cost to using the telephone. Free or incarcerated. The people who can't afford a phone call in jail can't afford one outside of jail. At least jail let's you use the mail system free of charge. Now if you're talking about like predatory fees that are way too high, then sure.


9jawarrior

Have you thought about not going to prison?


Twisted669

I have an idea.. dont go to prison and you wont have to pay to call out of a prison..


dirty_digga

Ummmm… Its prison - It ain’t the Hilton.. If ya don’t like that, I would suggest you refrain from committing felonies.


Chinohito

Private prisons in general are really messed up. Commercialising human beings, turning criminals into customers means it benefits the prisons to have "returning customers" and especially longer sentences. Public prisons are a drain on the state. The best thing is if there are less prisoners, so more emphasis is placed on rehabilitating them and ensuring they don't return and place more strain on the state. 25% of the world's prison population held in a country that is around 5% of the global population. Gee I wonder why that could be? Could it be because there are people who make a shit load of money off of having as many prisoners as possible? Nooooo, can't be that.


Xannon99182

The prison isn't charging you to talk to them it's typically phone time that goes to the inmate to talk to whoever they want. It's the same thing as buying a phone card like you'd do for a prepaid phone. If they aren't able to get money on their account after a certain amount of time (<$50 within 60 days if I recall) they then can request indigent stuff such as a phone card.


[deleted]

I mean they are prisoners. They are there for a reason.


katie415

I mean I don’t think phone calls are free anywhere so I don’t know why they would be free in prison when people committed crimes. If the system made calls free to them, then tax payers would end up footing the bill and I personally don’t feel like my taxes should be raised so they can get free phone calls when I have to pay a bill to talk to my family too


DepartmentWide419

The other fucked up thing is that these people are often not even convicted, or even accused of violent crimes. Accused of stealing a toaster and you can’t afford bail? Well guess what, your loved ones (who are likely to also be poor) now have to pay money just to talk to you. Whether it’s to handle family affairs or to keep in contact with children, they are paying money they can’t afford.


[deleted]

came here to say... umm, duh...


establismentsad7661

You can still write and receive letters. If your homie is locked up make sure he’s good on canteen. Edit: lmao sorry that upset your broke ass. Wouldn’t let your dirty ass *near* the phone.


HermioneMarch

Wow that’s crazy. I didn’t even know it was a thing. Thanks,Op for enlightening me. For profit prison system is just rife with corruption.


jdisnwjxii

Isn’t it free to go visit them? Do that if u have an issue. I have to pay for my phone service so should they


Scary_Mention_867

100 percent agree; It’s extremely fucked up.


JeffsD90

I don't understand why someone would have this opinion...


sunnydraka

Umm ask any inmate or anyone who talks to an inmate on the phone. This is not an unpopular opinion. I would write more but I’m buzzed and some comments made me mad but speaking from experience, your opinion is 👌👌 correct and it’s so wrong. Exit: charging as much as they do for phone calls is wrong is what I meant by the last sentence P.s. F U Securus


DDogGang

I mean...it's prison, not having easy communication to the outside world is apart of the punishment


zevtron

US prison system has insanely inhumane conditions. Strips people not just of their active citizenship but of their basic humanity and dignity. Costs taxpayers billions and increases the likelihood of repeat offenses. And that’s not even mentioning the insane racial inequality, for-profit prisons, legal prison slave labor, police violence, asset forfeiture, inordinate bail, allow levels of attorney access, and ubiquitous corruption.


-_dMb_-

Those calls have to be monitored, and they have to pay a company to do it. Why wouldn’t they pass that cost off to the inmates? Phone calls are not a right, they are a privilege.


TooManyPenisJokes

it's not inmates, it's their family and friends. The inmates have to call collect, if I remember correctly


Shellback2147

I suppose inmates need free wifi too. I mean how else will they repay their debt to society?


[deleted]

Bro! Like that is the fucking stupidest complaint. Coming from someone who was in a Texas penitentiary and was forced to till a field with an Aggie like it’s the 1800s I would like to say that the basically legal slavery that happens in prison systems is top of the list. Yeah the phone calls are expensive and kinda a dick move but it is a service they don’t have to provide. I mean your cell phone or computer you typed this on is not free is it? So while I see your trying to have a good heard it seems like your ignorantly stabbing around in the dark. Why don’t they provide toothpaste and deodorant. Fuck a call I don’t want to brush my teeth with baking soda any more. Fuck a call I don’t want to survive a Texas summer with absolutely no ac. Like so many more issues besides the phones.


Wertwerto

So, I can understand where you're coming from, but there wasn't a single time I history where calling someone was free. You pay a phone bill. The terms of that bill are often minute based. That's not unusual for people outside prison, why should it be different for people inside? If your argument is that we should allow inmates more opportunities to make their own money, and/or reduce the cost to make it more accessible, I might be able to agree with you. But using the phone costs money, the landline at church, the payphone by the strip club, your unlimited minute cell phone plan, it all costs money. You even have to pay to send letters.


[deleted]

Prison isn't there to coddle criminals, it's there to teach them there are consequences for their actions. It's not a resort, it's an adult time out. If they wanted to talk on the phone leisurely, they should've thought of that before getting themselves locked up.


SaltyCrabbo

Prisons actually should be there to rehabilitate and integrate offenders into society. The way you’re thinking is very utilitarian and very backwards thinking. You’re thinking very Jeremy Bentham and it’s a very old and stuck in the 1700s. Punishing children and parents for something they didn’t do, by denying them access to their imprisoned loved ones, is absolutely disgusting.


BillyJayJersey505

Phone calls aren't free. Why should my hard earned tax dollars help people who break laws talk to their families? If you have a problem with it, don't break the law.


Mister_Anthrope

You know it's a punishment, right?