ALBANY, NY — In a major victory for families across New York, the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) has announced that it will make phone calls free for people incarcerated in New York state prisons on August 1st, 2025. The state follows the lead of New York City, which became the first U.S. city to make jail calls free in 2019, saving city families an estimated $10 million per year. Now, with statewide implementation, New York joins California, Colorado (2026), Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Minnesota in providing communication for incarcerated people at no cost. Notably, New York is the first state to take this action administratively, without legislation, setting an example for executive leadership in other states.
The move will offer immediate relief to incarcerated people and corrections officers, particularly as programming and visitation remain significantly limited following the corrections officers’ strike earlier this year. With programming and other services across many prisons still suspended, access to communication is more critical than ever to promote emotional well-being, support pathways to rehabilitation, and reduce tensions that threaten the correctional environment. In fact, corrections officers have welcomed similar policies in other states, noting that improved family connection has decreased conflict inside facilities. More specifically, studies have found that providing incarcerated people regular access to communication led to a 20% drop in violence and had a comparable effect on disciplinary infractions.
“For decades, families across New York have had to choose between their essential needs and staying connected to their loved one behind bars. It has been a remarkable burden, carried largely by women in the community, that has only worsened since the strike that halted services across our state prisons,” said Bianca Tylek, Executive Director of Worth Rises. “Finally, relief is on its way, and it couldn’t be more timely. With a move that supports rehabilitation for incarcerated people, strengthens the unity and financial position of families, mitigates trauma for children facing parental incarceration, makes correctional environments safer for staff, and improves reentry outcomes and public safety, we all win. We thank all the families, advocates, and elected officials who helped make this happen.”
The change brings long-overdue relief to thousands of families who have spent millions annually just to stay connected. The change is projected to save roughly 30,000 families across the state an estimated $13.3 million per year in phone call fees, while importantly strengthening community ties critical to rehabilitation and reentry. Research has shown that incarcerated people who maintain consistent contact with loved ones are significantly more likely to succeed after release and avoid recidivating, making all New Yorkers safer. In the end, this new policy is a win, win, win for corrections staff, incarcerated people and their families, and all New Yorkers.
“Making these calls free is important for the rehabilitation of incarcerated individuals,” Speaker Heastie said. “This eases the financial burden on families and makes it easier for individuals to maintain vital ties – to children and parents and loved ones – improving outcomes both within the facility and in reentry into their community. I thank my partners in government for helping to make this a reality.”
This announcement also comes just roughly a week after the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) suddenly delayed the implementation of new rate caps passed in response to the Martha Wright-Reed Just and Reasonable Communications Act, claiming unforeseen consequences of new regulations. With today’s announcement, New York, which filed an amicus in support of the FCC’s recent regulations, continues to stand behind the FCC’s prior efforts to improve communication access in corrections facilities and goes even further, proving that price gouging is a choice, not a necessity.
In fact, New York’s well-negotiated contract illustrates how affordable it can be for states to provide communication services. The new contract cuts rates by more than half of what families were paying and sets the state’s cost at just 1.5 cents per minute — 4.5 cents lower than the FCC’s newest rate cap and even lower than California’s recently secured 1.6 cents per minute rate. The move underscores just how exploitative current industry norms are, and how much profit corporations have extracted from the need for human connection.
“No one should be profiting off a child’s phone call to their parent, or a family’s effort to stay connected through hard times,” said New York Assembly Member Harvey Epstein. “By making prison phone calls free, New York is standing up for basic dignity and helping to strengthen the bonds that make successful reentry possible. This is a commonsense, compassionate policy — and long overdue.”
This policy comes after nearly five years of legislative advocacy and negotiating between the legislature and executive. The new contract begins August 1, 2025 and more details about the rollout are expected in the coming weeks.
“This is about more than phone calls — it’s about fairness, family, and the kind of future we want for our communities,” said New York Senator Jamaal T. Bailey. “New York just took a major step toward a more humane and just criminal legal system, which is particularly important after such a rough year with the recent correctional officer strikes. And what’s more, this policy will drive public safety as communication anchors rehabilitation.”
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Worth Rises is a non-profit organization that uses narrative, policy, and corporate accountability strategies to dismantle the prison industry and end the exploitation of those it touches.