John,

The Keeping Families Connected/No Cost Calls Coalition and Color Of Change were recently with Gov. Maura Healey and Massachusetts lawmakers celebrating a victory in the ongoing fight against prison profiteering by making phone and video calls free between incarcerated people and their loved ones.

PHOTOS by Joshua Qualls/Governor's Press Office. Members of the No Cost Calls Coalition celebrate alongside Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey and state legislators.

In January 2023, Color Of Change joined the No Cost Calls Steering Committee as we sought to support the efforts of advocates fighting for phone justice by raising awareness about how the exorbitant cost of phone and video calls disproportionately hurts Black families in Massachusetts.

Nia Reid-Patterson and her family have been advocating for more than six years to keep families connected without oppressive financial burdens. When Massachusetts became the fifth state to make phone calls free, Reid-Patterson said this with relief: “It feels like a boulder has been lifted off my chest. Like many other families, making the choice between paying for calls to keep our families connected and groceries has been nothing short of cruelty from predatory prison phone companies profiting from our already vulnerable families.”

Beginning Dec. 1, 2023, families were able to make phone and video calls to their incarcerated loved ones at no cost. Call volume surged 45% that month, representing thousands of connections between loved ones and a burden lifted for families across the state.

But crucially, John, our work doesn't stop here. Color Of Change will continue to uplift impacted families by prioritizing the humanity of incarcerated people and pushing back against the for-profit carceral industry that targets our communities.

You can support this and other campaigns to create a more human, less hostile world for Black people when you donate $5 to Color Of Change. Strengthen the fight to end prison profiteering and the burden it puts on Black families once and for all.

Donate $5

Until Justice Is Real,
Color Of Change Team

Color Of Change is building a movement to elevate the voices of Black folks and our allies, and win real social and political change.

Color Of Change relies on donations from people like you, not corporations or lobbyists who don’t share our values. But if you’d like to remove yourself from our fundraising and special offer emails, you can opt out. If you wish to opt back in, send an email to [email protected].

If you’re absolutely sure you don’t want to hear from Color Of Change again, click here to unsubscribe.