SACRAMENTO, CA — Last night, Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 1008, making California the second state in the nation to make prison phone calls free. SB 1008 will provide relief to incarcerated people and their loved ones thanks to the tireless efforts of advocates, including directly impacted families. California joins a growing list of cities and states in the national fight for prison phone justice, including Connecticut, New York City, San Francisco, San Diego, Miami, and others.
Worth Rises and the entire Keep Families Connected coalition thanks Senator Josh Becker for sponsoring this historic legislation, the legislature for passing it through, and Governor Newsom for signing it into law. SB 1008 will impact the over 90,000 incarcerated people in California prisons, will save families $33 million a year, and make California safer.
“Every day, incarcerated people are unable to speak to their loved ones and support networks because of the egregious cost of calls. But now there’s an end in sight. We thank Senator Josh Becker for carrying SB 1008, the legislature for passing it, and Governor Newsom for signing it into law to make calls free in California prisons. This relief is long past due,” said Bianca Tylek, Executive Director of Worth Rises. “Once this bill goes into effect, a child will never again go without hearing that they’re loved from an incarcerated parent because they cannot afford to. Instead, families and children will be reunited, incarcerated people will be supported during and after their incarceration, and our prisons and communities will be safer for it. This will change California and hopefully the country as others replicate its model.”
While we celebrate this major victory today, tomorrow we get back to ensure that families with loved ones in the state's county jails, which were excluded from this bill by the legislature, get the same relief. Some of the most egregious exploitation happens at the county level, where calls can run as high as a dollar a minute until recently when the California Public Utilities Commission instituted an interim rate cap of $0.07 per minute. But it is not enough. For struggling families on a fixed income, any cost can force debt or cut off communication entirely.
“Studies have found one in three families fall into debt paying for phone calls with loved ones who are incarcerated, with the burden falling disproportionately on women, particularly women of color. California families should not have to go into debt just to stay connected to their loved ones inside. We are thrilled Governor Newsom has signed SB 1008 into law. This is an important step toward relieving a heavy financial strain on these families,” said Lucia Mattox, Director of Western States Outreach & Senior Policy Associate.
"This is a step in the right direction. SB 1008 Keep Families Connected Act will reduce the financial burden placed on families as they try to provide support for their loved ones on the road to rehabilitation. We are thankful that Governor Newsom has signed SB 1008 into law,” said Angel Rice, Co-Founder of Empowering Women Impacted by Incarceration.
"We as a collective effort are proud to say that California is stepping in the right direction to assist families financially with free phone calls. We were given an opportunity to make a difference for our Incarcerated loved ones and their families, and in this process we all walk, crawl, and run but we don't give up!! So is the case with SB 1008 we crossed the finish line. Congratulations, we made CA the second state with free phone calls in the USA," said Sandra Suares, Founder and Executive Director of Jesse's Place Organization.
“California has put people before profits by making all prison phone calls free,” said Anne Stuhldreher, Director of Financial Justice in the Office of the San Francisco Treasurer. “Phone justice is spreading across California. San Francisco was the first county in California to make all phone calls from jail free. Since that time, incarcerated people are spending 80 percent more time in touch with their families and support networks. That's a big boost for family connection, people's re-entry, and community safety. Huge thanks to Governor Gavin Newsom and California Senator Josh Becker."
“Today we end the outdated system of paying per minute to talk to our loved ones on the phone who are incarcerated,” said Christopher Sanchez, policy advocate for Western Center on Law and Poverty. “We appreciate that Governor Newsom recognizes families shouldn’t be burdened with this additional cost. We look forward to continuing this work with Senator Becker and our community partners in the coming years to ensure that all families with an incarcerated loved one in any facility in California no longer have to choose between feeding their families or a phone call.”
“We continue to support all efforts to reduce recidivism and to promote successful reentry into our communities. I believe passage of this bill will give evidence-based proof that free phone calls reduce recidivism,” said Carole Urie, CEO and Founder of Returning Foundation.