First-ever comprehensive study of nearly two dozen prison and jail systems finds that eliminating communication costs strengthens families, reduces facility violence, and improves reentry outcomes.
NATIONAL — Today, Worth Rises released a landmark report, Critical Connections: The Power of Free Communication in Prisons and Jails, providing the first systematic, data-driven evaluation of the impact of the national policy campaign to make prison and jail communication free.
Nationwide, 330,000 incarcerated people, and their families, now have access to fully free phone calls and, in some cases, other types of communication services like video calls or emails. Analyzing data from six prison systems and more than a dozen local jails, the report shows that free communication fundamentally transforms individual rehabilitation, family stability, facility operations, and public safety — while exposing the harm caused by the $1.5 billion correctional telecom industry that has profited from preying on the human need for connection.
“For decades, incarcerated people and their loved ones have been forced to accept the outrageous cost of calls to stay connected — and for many, that cost became unbearable, tearing families apart,” said Bianca Tylek, Executive Director of Worth Rises and co-author of the report. “The findings in today’s report show that when jurisdictions make correctional communication free, incarcerated people emerge from isolation and recommit to their own rehabilitation, families experience life-changing financial and emotional relief, correctional staff enter markedly calmer and safer work environments, and the public welcomes home people more mentally and logistically prepared to return to society. The bottom line is that everyone wins.”
Key Findings
Free communication policies have saved incarcerated people and their families $622 million to date. These policies remove a significant financial burden for predominantly low income families, with 70% of prison savings and 82% of jail savings flowing to Black and brown families, communities that are disproportionately impacted by incarceration.
“My husband was standing in line waiting for people that he had never even seen use a phone. These old guys who never call anybody are suddenly getting in line. He said he saw people crying.”
— Brashani, wife of an incarcerated person, Massachusetts
Free communication has enabled nearly 600 million additional calls, totalling 6.4 billion additional call minutes, between incarcerated people and their loved ones. When the cost barrier to connection was removed, communication increased immediately, dramatically, and durably across every system studied. In prisons, daily minutes used per person rose from 25 to 45. In jails, the jump was steeper — from 27 to 57 — reflecting the urgent needs of people recently incarcerated and those awaiting trial.
"Conversations create a pathway for empathy, healing, a healthy relationship with my family, and actually, just hope for a future when I get out… They were vital for my healing, for my sobriety, for my growth, and for my ability to do the positive things I'm doing now in prison."
— Jasmeel, incarcerated person, California
Free communication strengthened relationships, improving mental health and renewing commitments to rehabilitation. Without the financial stressor of paying for calls, conversations moved from brief, transactional agendas toward ongoing, relational connections — restoring the daily fabric of family and community life that incarceration had interrupted. Relationships became rooted in reciprocity, ensuring that support and accountability flowed both ways, and creating a renewed sense of belonging and hope for the future among incarcerated people..
"I see different individuals [when] they connect with their sons or their daughters or their wife. They're exercising more, getting involved in groups, going to church. Why? Because they want to become better men. I can see life, I can see the energy, I can see excitement. I can see the desire to do something different."
— Saul, incarcerated person, California
Free communication policies are cost-effective and have made facilities calmer and safer for officers and incarcerated people alike. All participating correctional staff recommended that other agencies adopt them, crediting them with reducing tensions and making their jobs easier. 79% of incarcerated people described positive changes in the prison environment once communication became free. And the cost of implementation was far lower than families were paying — per minute call rates dropped more than 60%, on average, when the cost burden shifted from families to correctional agencies.
“Since implementing the free phone call policy last August, we have seen a significant increase in call activity, demonstrating that when financial barriers are removed, individuals in our care make greater use of opportunities to stay connected. These strengthened connections provide critical support and contribute to reduced conflict inside facilities and improved outcomes.”
— Commissioner Daniel F. Martuscello III, New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision
"This study combines rare access to facilities for in-depth qualitative research with large-scale quantitative data, which allows us to see both what happens when communication becomes free and why,” said Peter Mayer, Director of Research and Data Innovation at Worth Rises and co-author of the report. “It captures lived experience alongside measurable impact—showing increases in connection, financial relief, and how those changes are experienced day to day."
A simple call can make a world of difference. Critical Connections: The Power of Free Communication in Prisons and Jails makes clear that providing free communication in prisons and jails is an evidence-based policy that strengthens families, calms facilities, supports rehabilitation, and improves reentry success. The path forward is clear: when the cost barrier to connection comes down, everyone wins.
For more information, please read the report and visit ConnectFamiliesNow.com/PowerofFree. To speak with the authors, impacted people, or correctional agencies, please contactpress@worthrises.org.