John,
As you may know, Color Of Change has been persistently pressuring members of Congress to pass the Martha Wright Act. This legislation would give the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) more authority to regulate how much prisons and jails can charge incarcerated people and their families for phone calls.
Right now, private prison telecom companies like Securus (owned by Aventiv Technologies) and ViaPath Technologies (formerly GTL) make billions of dollars preying on incarcerated people and their loved ones by charging exorbitant rates for phone calls. In some states, people have to pay as much as $1 per minute for every phone call, forcing many to have to decide between speaking to their incarcerated loved ones or paying their bills. No one should be forced to make that choice.
CALL CONGRESS AND TELL THEM TO KEEP FAMILIES CONNECTED
While Congress was on break in August, our fight for phone justice did not stop. We published an op-ed in Blavity1 in support of the Martha Wright Act, urging members of Congress to co-sponsor the bill. We also worked with former Black Panther and current Illinois Congressman Bobby Rush, (D-1st), to publish an op-ed in the Crime Report2. Congressman Rush, who has been a phone justice advocate for many years, detailed the importance of allowing families to remain connected by ensuring incarcerated people have access to phone calls at more affordable rates.
We’re ramping up our efforts now because incarcerated people and their loved ones deserve to stay connected, period. The Martha Wright Act would make that possible.
Color Of Change has continued to send target letters to key members of Congress, but now we need your help. The pressure is building, and we are closer than ever to passing this bill. Federal legislation will soon be a reality, but we must keep fighting.
Let’s make these calls to Congress today so that more incarcerated people can speak with their family members in the future. Tell your House member to co-sponsor the Martha Wright Act today!
Until Justice Is Real,
Sakira Cook, Co-Interim Vice President
Color Of Change
References
1. The Harrowing Cost Of Staying In Touch With Family Members In Prison. Blavity, 19 August 2022.
2. Phone Injustice: Profiting from Families of the Incarcerated. The Crime Report, 26 August 2022.
Color Of Change is building a movement to elevate the voices of Black folks and our allies, and win real social and political change. Please help keep our movement strong.