Why are Jail Calls So Expensive in the US?
Published July 23rd, 2019
It’s a well-known fact that the cost of jail calls in the US is like daylight robbery. The injustice of it all is so blatantly obvious. Yet jail call companies are still getting away with charging exorbitant prices.
In this post, we’ll explain why it is so and how you can save on your jail calls.
Cost of Jail Calls in the US
According to the Federal Communications Commission, inmates pay up to $17 for a 15-minute call. This means that a 30-minute once a week call to prison would cost you up to $136. That’s almost half your monthly car payment.
Some families, especially those living off on a social security check, can never afford such luxury. At times, it’s a tough choice between putting food on the table or calling their loved ones.
This is the reality for most inmate families. A 2014 report shows that inmates’ annual income average only $19,185. That’s 41% lower than non-incarcerated people of the same age. Safe to say, the ultimate victim of this unreasonable cost for jail calls are those from the most vulnerable sectors of society.
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The Jail Call Conspiracy
What most people don’t know is that most of the time, jail officials and jail call companies are in cahoots with each other.
Since the ’90s, prison facilities in the US enter into contracts with private jail call providers. The contract grants them exclusive rights to provide prison call services to inmates. For a commission, of course. So naturally, the contracts are awarded to those who can give the biggest commission.
These commissions are in turn passed on to the inmates by way of expensive jail calls. There have been legal petitions in the past years to reform the prison call system in the country. So far, very few states have successfully reduced their jail calls cost.
How to Save Money on Jail Calls
With jail calls as expensive as they are, family relationships are often sacrificed.
Fortunately, GlobalTel found a way around this. It aims to provide inmates and their families with a way to make cheap jail calls. When you sign up with GlobalTel, we will give you a specific jail phone number that the inmate can call from jail. Remember that inmates can’t receive calls, only make ones.
So when inmates dial the GlobalTel phone number, the call will be billed like a normal local call. That’s about ten times cheaper than the usual prison call charges.
GlobalTel also provides cheap jail mail postcard services for only $0.52. Just log-on to our website, create a personalized postcard and we’ll print and ship it to the inmate for you.
Reduce Your Jail Call Costs By Up To 90% Per Minute With GlobalTel
GlobalTel’s inmate calling service lowers jail call per minute rates by up to 90% for jail calls from US facilities. Sign up now and use the special jail call phone number we create for you to eliminate the long distance jail call fees. Try GlobalTel for only $45.99 for 90 days. Make US/domestic and international jail calls at the local rate and stay connected to your incarcerated loved ones for less. Learn more about how to sign up for calls from inmates here.
This Content Is Fact Checked
Our esteemed team of specialists has thoroughly validated the accuracy of this information. Discover further details about the rigorous editorial guidelines for our website here.
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About The Author
Judy Ponio is a professional writer for the GlobalTel blog. She works hard to ensure her work contains accurate facts by cross checking reputable sources and doesn’t settle for less. Her passion for telling stories about true crime and criminal justice has allowed her to create hundreds of articles that have benefited millions of people.
