Inmates Can Now Make Free Phone Calls in Five States

An excerpt from CNN.com 

Making phone calls from prison is now free in Massachusetts

By Zoe Sottile, CNN

Inmates at Massachusetts correctional facilities can now
make an unlimited number of calls cost-free.
WichienTep/iStockphoto/Getty Images

Massachusetts has now become the fifth state in the US to allow inmates to make phone calls for free, thanks to a new bill signed into law by Governor Maura Healey.

The new law went into effect on Friday and includes all 14 correctional facilities in the state, according to a news release from the Massachusetts Department of Correction.

The change will “provide equitable access to sustained communication between incarcerated individuals and their loved ones,” says the news release.

There is no limit to the number of calls each inmate can make, according to the release.

“The Massachusetts Department of Correction recognizes the importance of incarcerated individuals maintaining bonds with their loved ones,” said the Department of Correction commissioner Carol Mici in the release. “No cost calls will alleviate the financial burden and remove barriers for an individual in MA DOC custody to stay connected with their outside support system. Strong family support helps to advance the rehabilitative process, reduces recidivism, and contributes to successful reentry upon release.”

https://www.cnn.com/2023/12/03/us/massachusetts-prison-call-free-trnd/index.html