HARTFORD, CT — today, the Connecticut Senate passed SB 972 in a 29-6 vote, sending the legislation on to the House for its final vote. Saving Connecticut families more than $12.2 million annually (before fees and taxes), SB 972 would reconnect struggling families and improve reentry outcomes by allowing incarcerated people to communicate with their support networks at no cost. Importantly, SB 972 would also protect prison visits from being replaced by new communication technology, as many have feared.
If SB 972 is passed by the House and signed into law by Governor Ned Lamont, Connecticut would become the first U.S. state to make prison phone calls free, following a growing number of counties that have adopted similar policies in their jails. Worth Rises joins the rest of the Connect Families Connecticut coalition in celebrating this pivotal step towards bringing prison phone justice to the state. The coalition eagerly awaits the House vote, expected within days.
“With today’s news, the Connecticut legislature took another huge step towards protecting Connecticut’s most marginalized families – those supporting incarcerated loved ones – and making history as the first state to provide free communication in its prisons,” said Bianca Tylek, Executive Director of Worth Rises. “We are deeply grateful to Senator Gary Winfield for serving as the proponent of the bill. We also want to thank Senate President Martin Looney and Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff for their championship as bill cosponsors. We fully expect the House to pass SB 972 and for Governor Lamont to sign it into law, but eagerly await for them to do so.”
State Senator Gary Winfield said, “We have an opportunity to make it possible for families to talk to their loved ones inside and for those behind bars to be able to have communications that are critical to who they will be when they come out of the prison. These people are going to be our neighbors when they come home, but they’re left inside of our prisons on their own. If we can address this and we don’t, we’d be irresponsible. But above all, sometimes there’s value in doing something that’s not just about the dollars. And this is one of those issues. I’m proud of today’s vote on SB 972.”
“The Senate’s vote on SB 972 is huge. It is a privilege to be a part of such an important fight, and I know the House is also ready to pass SB 972 quickly,” said State Representative Josh Elliott. “Connecticut has a chance to set an example for the rest of the country, and we’re on the right side of history. Corporations can no longer be allowed to exploit the love between incarcerated people and their families – not in our state, not on our watch.”
“After having my heart broken in 2019, I am thrilled about today’s vote. We are so close to the finish line that I can see it – we will make Connecticut the first state to make prison phone calls free, and it will mean the world to families supporting loved ones inside like I did for many many years,” said Diane Lewis, an advocate whose son was incarcerated for 14 years. “Thank you to our champions in the Connecticut Senate for recognizing our struggles, hearing our calls for change, and voting to make our state a leader in prison phone justice.”
Venezia Michalsen, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Justice Studies, Montclair State University said, “By voting yes on SB 972, the Connecticut Senate has gotten us one step closer to keeping loved ones separated by prison walls connected and communicating, which both research and common sense show are best for Connecticut's children, families, communities and taxpayers. Once the House follows suit, Connecticut will finally go from last to first in prioritizing the lives and futures of our most vulnerable children and families.”
“Connecticut has benefited for far too long from the pain and suffering people have been forced to experience because a price has been put on supporting there loved ones inside through the a phone call. This pain and suffering contributes to generational trauma that plagues our communities that is always overlooked. Passing this bill to me means the exploited voices of the community are starting to be heard and acknowledged,” said Jewu Richardson, Co-Director at CT Bail Fund.
“Passage of SB 972 is a huge step toward improving child health and wellbeing outcomes when that child’s parent is incarcerated. Parent-child separation causes toxic stress and PTSD-like symptoms in children, while maintaining contact reduces the most harmful effects of trauma associated with parental separation,” said Aileen Keays, Project Manager at CT Children with Incarcerated Parents Initiative.
Shelby Henderson, ACLU of Connecticut Smart Justice leader said, “When someone is incarcerated, a phone call is a lifeline to hope, and that lifeline should never depend on how much money is in someone’s pocket. Phone calls are vital for families to stay connected, and that connection is necessary for the mental health and wellbeing of people who are inside and the people who love them on the outside. We applaud the Senate’s passage of this bill and urge the House to act on it now.”
“Thank you for having the courage to invest in people over profit. This legislation underscores our commitment to successful reentry and reducing recidivism by removing the financial barrier of connecting incarcerated people to their families,” said Karimah Mickens Webber, Chairperson of Ella’s Fund PAC.
“This urgent legislation will keep our families connected, helping dismantle an unjust system that is transferring wealth from heavily-policed communities to the private company that is profiting off their struggle. Connecticut is on its way to becoming the first state to eliminate charges on prison communication, but know this: it will not be the last. This movement is just getting started,” said Brian Highsmith, Social Policy PhD student at Harvard University.
Background:
For years, Connecticut families have paid unconscionable rates to stay connected with incarcerated loved ones. In the last year, Connecticut earned the dubious distinction of ranking last in the country in the affordability of prison calls.
The proposed legislation was initially introduced by Rep. Josh Elliott as HB 6714 in 2019. While it passed out of both the Judiciary and Appropriations Committees, it was ultimately tabled when lawmakers failed to allocate funding. Democratic leadership committed to address the issue in 2020.
Advocates continued to pressure Governor Lamont and Connecticut lawmakers to keep their promise to prioritize the prison phone justice bill in 2020. The bill was introduced again as promised, but before it could get a public hearing, the legislative session was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
At the start of the 2021 legislative session, the tide changed, Senator Martin Looney reintroduced the legislation, which was then taken up by the Judiciary Committee as SB 972. Following a 12-hour public hearing during which formerly and currently incarcerated advocates and their families testified in support of SB 972, the bill was passed out of the Judiciary Committee. Shortly thereafter, the Appropriations Committee funded the legislation in its proposed budget by allocating $11.4 million, and passing the bill in a 46-2 vote.