For over ten years a coalition of organizations and individuals has been asking the Federal Communications Commission (the FCC) to lower the cost of calling prison, jail or detention centers. Finally, last year we won! The FCC’s new rate caps take effect February 11, 2014.  The new rates will protect families, pastors, community members and others making phone calls to people in prison, jails, or detention centers.  We have prepared a summary and resources to help people apply the new rules.

New Rate Caps

On February 11, 2014, the new rate caps adopted by the Federal Communications Commission for telephone calls to people in prison, jail or detention take effect. The FCC caps for interstate calls (calls between two different states) are:

• • 25 cents per minute for collect calls and
• • 21 cents per minute for debit or prepaid calls

The FCC also capped the total cost of a call between two states, including per-call charges. Those caps are:

• • $3.75 for a 15-minute collect call and
• • $3.15 for a 15-minute debit or prepaid calls

For calls after February 11, 2014, a charge over these limits is in violation of federal rules.

Need more help understanding the new rules? See our Frequently Asked Questions andHow to File a Complaint at the FCC for Prison Phone Call Charges that are Too High.