Karen Weaver's Fight for Clean Water November 2017 | Page 37

DIMINISHING OPTIONS FOR INMATES
As if the psychological and social disadvantages weren't enough, financial barriers can
be equally prohibitive. Three companies dominate the prison communications business:
Securus, Telmate and Global Tel Link, also called GTL. They charge as much as one
dollar per minute for video visitation which can add up for families very quickly. A
survey of families by the Ella Baker Center showed that more than 1 in 3 families goes
into debt just to cover the costs of keeping in touch with their loved one.
The Federal Communications Commission voted in October to cap phone rates at 11
cents per minute. The companies are suing as they look to other ways to make up lost
revenue for their for-profit, contract-based prison communications businesses. The
video-only visitation is one way prison communications businesses are bridging their
revenue gap.
The FCC is already looking to regulate other kinds of communication – including video -
but it could be months, or even years, before any rulings are issued..