Federal prisons waiving inmate phone fees

The Correctional Service of Canada is temporarily making calls free of charge for prisoners in Canada's federal corrections institutions in response to the global COVID-19 pandemic. According to an email from a spokesperson for the Correctional Service of Canada, the federal prison system has suspended visits from the public and volunteers, work release and temporary absences from correctional institutions "unless medically necessary." "Understanding the impacts these measures have on the inmate population," a CSC spokesperson wrote in an emailed statement to The Wire Report, the commissioner is "authorized to waive telephone deductions. This will be for the next 3 months, at which time, we will reassess." Under normal circumstances, inmates can make calls at a rate of 47.5 cents per local call, deducted from a balance that can be added to an inmate's account once every four weeks. "We continue to work on other measures to assist with inmates communicating with their family and friends," the statement read. Like the federal system, prisons across the country have suspended visits, though some have not changed the telephone policy. In a response from the Ontario Solicitor General's office to questions about whether there were any changes to the phone system, a spokesperson wrote simply: "no changes to procedure." The phone system in Ontario prisons, is currently contracted to BCE Inc., and is the subject of an attempted class action lawsuit filed in February by Sotos Class Actions for what it says are "unconscionable" telephone rates. A Bell spokesperson wrote in response to The Wire Report that "the government sets the terms of service and announced yesterday" and that "there are no changes planned for provincial correctional facilities at this time." The lack of change does not sit well with some prisoner advocates. Michael Spratt, an Ottawa criminal defense lawyer who earlier this week penned an editorial in the Ottawa Citizen calling for the release of prisoners who have not been yet charged with a crime, has called for free calling. "Family visits are on hold," Spratt wrote in an email to the Wire Report, "so some inmates, who can’t afford the phone costs, have zero contact with the outside world." "The largest change is that the jail has been locking down inmates in their cells (in close confinement with their cell mates). This means their phone access is even more restricted," Spratt wrote. Referring to those incarcerated in Ontario's correctional system, Spratt wrote "this is not going to turn out well for their mental and physical health." The calls, he wrote, "should be cost free (not collect) and able to call cell phones. Simple." South of the border, the Massachusetts-based Prison Policy Initiative is calling on prison administrators across the U.S. to suspend fees for video and voice calls. "As jails and prisons across the country suspend in-person visits to slow the spread of COVID-19," the think tank wrote in an open letter Tuesday, "families are being rapidly cut off from their incarcerated loved ones. Phone calls and video calls are now the only option for anxious families trying to stay in touch. It’s more important than ever that these calls be available at no cost." In British Columbia, where there were 103 COVID-19 cases as of Tuesday afternoon, the prison phone systems are contracted to Telus Corp., and those in provincial custody must pay a flat fee of 90 cents per local 30-minute call. Long distance calls to the U.S. and elsewhere in Canada are 80 cents for the first minute and 30 cents for each minute after. "Notably, exceptions are made on a case-by-case basis if an individual does not have the necessary funds to make a call, and there is no charge for calls to lawyers or to community resources and organizations.," a spokesperson for the B.C. Ministry of Public Safety wrote in an email in response to questions about whether or not changes were being made to the price of calls from prisons. "Revenues from the calls made by individuals in custody pay for the phone service from Telus, with additional proceeds from calls donated to the Inmate Benefit Fund (IBF). The IBF is used for recreational items for those in custody, such as televisions, cable subscriptions and recreational equipment, resulting in no cost to the Province for these items," the spokesperson wrote. — With reporting by Michael Lee-Murphy at mleemurphy@thewirereport.ca and editing by Adam Langenberg at alangenberg@thewirereport.ca

Federal prisons waiving inmate phone fees

News | March 18, 2020

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