August	
  29,	
  2012	
  
	
  
Chairman	
  Julius	
  Genachowski	
  
Federal	
  Communications	
  Commission	
  
Public	
  Comments	
  
445	
  12th	
  Street,	
  SW	
  
Washington,	
  D.C.	
  	
  20554	
  
	
  
Dear	
  Chairman	
  Genachowski;	
  
	
  

	
  
	
  
On	
  August	
  21st	
  a	
  delegation	
  of	
  organizations	
  from	
  the	
  New	
  York	
  area	
  met	
  with	
  Representative	
  Yvette	
  Clarke	
  (Brooklyn)	
  
to	
  discuss	
  the	
  high	
  cost	
  of	
  receiving	
  a	
  phone	
  call	
  from	
  a	
  prison,	
  jail	
  or	
  detention	
  center.	
  	
  The	
  visit	
  was	
  held	
  as	
  part	
  of	
  a	
  
larger	
  effort	
  called	
  the	
  Campaign	
  for	
  Prison	
  Phone	
  Justice,	
  a	
  national	
  campaign	
  seeking	
  to	
  lower	
  the	
  cost	
  of	
  prison	
  phone	
  
calls.	
  	
  Member	
  organizations	
  included:	
  Center	
  for	
  Media	
  Justice,	
  Peoples	
  Production	
  House,	
  Families	
  Rally	
  for	
  
Emancipation	
  and	
  Empowerment	
  (FREE)	
  and	
  Pastor	
  Will	
  Seaton.	
  	
  	
  
	
  
The	
  delegation	
  petitioned	
  Representative	
  Clarke	
  to	
  send	
  a	
  letter	
  to	
  the	
  FCC	
  in	
  support	
  of	
  the	
  Wright	
  Petition	
  (docket	
  no.	
  
96-­‐128),	
  a	
  measure	
  that	
  would	
  make	
  the	
  cost	
  of	
  long	
  distance	
  phone	
  calls	
  from	
  prisons	
  more	
  affordable.	
  	
  These	
  groups	
  
believe	
  the	
  current	
  predatory	
  rates	
  deter	
  regular	
  telephone	
  contact	
  with	
  stable	
  family	
  members	
  and	
  others	
  in	
  the	
  
community.	
  	
  Further,	
  they	
  posit	
  the	
  FCC-­‐-­‐as	
  the	
  only	
  agency	
  with	
  jurisdiction	
  over	
  long	
  distance	
  rates-­‐-­‐	
  is	
  the	
  correct	
  
venue	
  to	
  resolve	
  this	
  problem.	
  
	
  
On	
  behalf	
  of	
  these	
  groups	
  we	
  request	
  federal	
  oversight	
  of	
  interstate	
  prison	
  phone	
  call	
  rates.	
  You	
  can	
  help	
  ensure	
  
families	
  can	
  stay	
  connected	
  by	
  taking	
  action.	
  
	
  
	
  
Respectfully	
  submitted,	
  

amalia	
  deloney	
  
Associate	
  Director