A growing coalition of Senate Democrats is intensifying pressure on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to uphold and fully enforce a crucial regulatory measure that would significantly reduce the cost of phone and video communications for people living in prison facilities. In a carefully worded and strongly critical letter addressed to FCC Chair Brendan Carr, several prominent lawmakers—including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York, Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, and Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, among others—express sharp disapproval of what they describe as the agency’s attempts to effectively dismantle or weaken a finalized rule intended to impose reasonable caps on the exorbitant and often exploitative fees charged to incarcerated individuals and their families.
This correspondence was strategically issued just hours before a scheduled open meeting of the FCC, during which the Commission is expected to consider new proposals regarding the cost structure of prison communications. The timing underscores the senators’ urgency and their concern that the FCC might be preparing to loosen or delay the enforcement of restrictions that would directly affect how much incarcerated people, as well as their loved ones on the outside, must pay simply to maintain contact through phone calls or video visits—a lifeline often essential for emotional well-being, rehabilitation, and familial stability.
Earlier in the year, the Commission announced plans to postpone implementation of the Martha Wright-Reed Just and Reasonable Communications Act, a federal law that explicitly grants the FCC the authority to regulate the rates that telecommunications providers may charge for prison-based calling services. Although Chair Carr had previously cast a partial vote in favor of setting limits on these call costs in 2024, he later justified the postponement by citing fears of what he termed “negative, unintended consequences.” Under his directive, correctional institutions would not be obligated to comply with the new rate ceilings until April 1, 2027, a full two years beyond the originally intended phased rollout that was supposed to begin on January 1, 2025.
The Democratic senators denounce this deferment as legally and morally indefensible, labeling it “unlawful” and claiming that it effectively strips away long-awaited relief for incarcerated individuals and their families from the predatory pricing structures that have long characterized the prison communications market. According to the lawmakers, the draft order presently circulating within the FCC threatens to raise the financial burden on prisoners and their families by as much as eighty-three percent compared to the levels set under the 2024 regulatory framework—a move that they argue is in direct contradiction to Congress’s clear intent when enacting the Martha Wright-Reed law.
In their letter, the senators forcefully reject Carr’s justification that the final rule produced unforeseen or unintended harms, asserting that no evidence in the official record supports such a claim. They contend that by attempting to repeal or delay enforcement, the FCC is acting in an arbitrary and capricious manner that will inflict tangible and lasting damage on millions of Americans. These individuals, they emphasize, are not only citizens but also parents, spouses, children, and friends who rely on consistent and affordable communication channels to sustain vital human connections with loved ones behind bars.
Rather than seeking a formal written response from Chair Carr, the senators make a more direct demand: they call upon the FCC to immediately retract its decision to delay implementation of the Martha Wright-Reed Act and to proceed without hesitation in enforcing the pricing rule as finalized. In doing so, they argue, the Commission would affirm its commitment to fairness, accountability, and the fundamental principle that the right to communicate should not be reserved only for those who can afford it, but must remain accessible and equitable for all—especially for those whose voices have too often been silenced by systemic financial barriers.
Sourse: https://www.theverge.com/news/807422/democrats-prison-phone-calls-fcc-letter
