Calling from Prison (Photo credit: Truthout.org)

By Ian Simpson

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission voted on Friday to reduce prison telephone rates that had made it far more expensive for prison inmates to make phone calls than it is outside prison walls.

The commission voted 2-1 to reduce interstate phone rates for inmates that it said had been as high as $17 for a 15-minute call when extra fees were added in, the panel said in a statement.

The lower fees were aimed at helping prisoners maintain contact with family and friends, which lowers the probability that inmates will return to prison after release, the FCC said.

The new rates will also allow about 2.7 million children who have a parent in prison or jail to remain in touch, the statement said.

“The Commission’s reforms adopt a simple and balanced approach that protects security and public safety needs, ensures providers receive fair compensation while providing reasonable rates to consumers,” it said.

In an interim move, the FCC limited per-minute rates to 25 cents for long-distance collect calls, meaning that a 15-minute call cannot top $3.75. Debit and prepaid calls were capped at 21 cents a minute, or $3.15 for 15 minutes.

Read More  Prison Phone Call Costs To Be Reduced; 15-Minute Call Previously As Much As $17.