New York State will eliminate all fees for phone calls made from its prisons beginning August 1, joining a growing number of states working to improve communication between incarcerated individuals and their families.
Under the new policy, all calls made from state prison phones or tablets will be free of charge. This change builds on recent efforts to reduce the financial burden of prison phone calls—until now, incarcerated individuals received three free calls per week, with additional calls incurring a cost.
The New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision says the updated policy is intended to remove financial barriers and support family connections, which are widely seen as a key factor in rehabilitation and reducing recidivism.
New York now joins states such as California and Connecticut in offering free phone access to people in custody.
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