NCJ Number
132710
Journal
Corrections Compendium Volume: 15 Issue: 3 Dated: (April 1990) Pages: 9-16
Date Published
1990
Length
8 pages
Annotation
According to a recent survey, inmates in all correctional systems in the US and Canada have access to telephones, and, in general, corrections managers consider telephone privileges a good idea.
Abstract
Some systems contract with private suppliers for the phones, others receive a percentage of the profits, and some institutions provide the service. How often and how long the inmates may use the phones varies between systems and institutions. Inmates in 29 systems pay for local calls; long distance calls must be made collect or paid by the inmate. Most systems have had some problems with inmates' access to phones including incidents of harassment, obscene calls, extortion, and fraud. Louisiana implemented a "scam tier" to monitor for potential telephone misuse. Other misuse includes drug deals, unpaid phone bills, and threatening calls. In New Mexico, inmates used telephones to plan their escape. Despite these problems, corrections departments feel that allowing prisoners to use the phones contributes positively to family relations and institutional morale. A state-by-state analysis of inmate telephone services is included. 1 table