Texas prison system dramatically cuts the cost of inmate phone calls

Inmates shuffle past fans in the Darrington prison's main hallway on a hot July day.
Inmates shuffle past fans in the Darrington prison’s main hallway on a hot July day.
Jolie McCullough / The Texas Tribune

Inmate phone calls in Texas prisons are about to get a lot cheaper.

In an Austin hotel ballroom Friday, the Texas Board of Criminal Justice voted to decrease the cost of calls for inmates from 26 cents per minute to 6 cents a minute. The change will go into effect Sept. 1.

“The new OTS contract is going to benefit not only families of offenders who are hoping to stay connected, but enhance the agency’s focus on re-entry,” said Texas Department of Criminal Justice Executive Director Bryan Collier. “The system is used to maintain relationships with friends and family that are a vital part of a successful re-entry and reintegration of offenders into the community.”

This story is developing and will be updated.


Source: Texas Tribune Blue Left News

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