In North Carolina, calls to loved ones from those in the state prison system cost $0.10 per minute, plus around 44% of the total phone call cost added in tax.
For a single 15 minute phone call, this could mean a total cost of around $2.16.
E-messages (similar to text messages) costs $0.25 each to send, or between $0.02 and $0.03 per minute to read, write and send e-messages.
If someone is lucky enough to get a job in prison, they might earn $0.40 to $1.00 per day, so most of the financial burden for communication falls on the family. Unlike those of us on the “outside,” those behind bars & their families have no access to plans that include unlimited talk and text.
Connecting Families NC is a coalition that intends to end this financial burden by advocating for free prison communications statewide.
To learn more about this nationwide issue, visit www.connectfamiliesnow.org
“I used to have good conversations about life while on the phone at the juvenile detention center, where calls were free. Now…I can’t afford a phone call to my family…My mother has 9 kids and no GED, so whatever money she do got she pays the bills of her 3 bedroom apartment. But lately she had to move out of her apartment…I don’t even talk with half of my whole family.” – J.M., age 19, incarcerated
“After my husband was incarcerated, our family lost over half of our income. In spite of suffering this devastating financial hardship, I have since been forced to make additional sacrifices to support communication with my husband. I have spent over $15,000 to ensure my children and I are able to maintain a healthy relationship with my husband. Though our time together is priceless, the cost of these precious minutes is far too high.” – A.N.
“The cost of the call(s) (are) so high, particularly for my elderly mom who’s living on a fixed income, that I had to stop calling (at her expense)…As a janitor, I earn $0.40 a day. My weekly pay is enough to purchase one phone call. Mom loves those calls. So do I. For me, her voice has always meant home…I want to call her every day, but I can’t.” – P.B., incarcerated
“As a wife, having my spouse incarcerated places an overwhelming financial and emotional burden on our family every call, visit, and commissary item comes at a cost we constantly struggle to afford. Beyond the money, the weight of holding our household together alone is a daily reminder of the silent sentence families serve too.” – C.C.
“Free phones calls (would) help us connect with friends & family without being a financial burden on them and us, which would help us support each other in time of need…When our families and friends have to cough up money to do anything for us it pushes them away. That is not helpful to prisoners’ rehabilitation.” – H.B., incarcerated
