This Court has long recognized that when a State brings its judicial power to bear on an indigent defendant in a criminal proceeding, it must take steps to assure that the defendant has a fair opportunity to present his defense. This elementary principle, grounded in significant part on the Fourteenth Amendment’s due process guarantee of fundamental fairness, derives from the belief that justice cannot be equal where, simply as a result of his poverty, a defendant is denied the opportunity to participate meaningfully in a judicial proceeding in which his liberty is at stake.Justice Thurgood Marshall,
Ake v. Oklahoma, 470 U.S. 68,76 (1985)

FCC Approves New Rules for Prison Interstate Long-Distance Calls

The FCC has approved new rules aimed to bring down the high rates presently charged by telephone companies at prisons for interstate long-distance calls. The exorbitant costs charged to inmates and their families (some cases $17 for a 15 minute call) prohibits the inmate from maintaining contact with family and friends during their incarceration. Studies have shown that there is a lower rate of recidivism with inmates who keep regular contact with family and friends during the incarceration. FCC Rules Regarding Inmate Interstate Long-Distance Call Fees

Search form

You are here

FCC Approves New Rules for Prison Interstate Long-Distance Calls