Telecom
One in three families goes into debt to maintain contact with an incarcerated loved one thanks in large part to the exorbitant cost of prison and jail phone calls, which can run as high as a dollar a minute. The $1.4 billion prison telecom industry is dominated by three corporations, all owned by private equity firms, and pushing new costly communication services. But momentum is building for federal, state, and local legislation that could dramatically reduce the cost of prison and jails calls, and in some cases make them entirely free.
Assignment
Read Textbook Chapter 7: Telecom (pgs. 48 - 58)
Answer Discussion Guide questions in Chapter 7: Telecom (pg. 7)
Watch and share this week’s 5 Quick Facts video on social media
Listen to the radio segment on The Brian Lehrer Show
Watch the Punishment + Profit webinar on Telecom
The Brian Lehrer Show
punishment + Profit
A webinar series in collaboration with The Greene Space at New York Public Radio. Watch the replay below!
Speakers
Ulandis Forte
National Advocate
Diane Lewis
Community Advocate
Rachel Cohen
Contributing Writer,
The Intercept
Anne Stuhldreher
Director,
The San Francisco Financial Justice Project
The Greene Space is the street-level broadcast studio and performance venue of WNYC and WQXR, channeling the collective genius in New York City to create forward-looking live art, theater, and journalism that sparks change. It brings audiences to the intersection of art and politics by leading courageous conversations and curating performances of intense beauty that are deeply rooted locally but relevant to audiences globally.