In July, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) limited the rates that prison telecommunications companies can charge for phone and video calling services in prisons and jails. Historically, those prison phone rates have been exorbitant—a 15-minute phone call could cost more than $12—making it incredibly difficult for incarcerated people to communicate with loved ones.

The new prison phone rate caps, which go into effect next year, range from $0.06 per minute for all prisons and large jails to $0.12 per minute at very small jails for audio calls.

The FCC also capped the cost of video visitation calls, which, according to the agency, will now be less than a quarter of current prices. This is particularly meaningful for people held in jails that have eliminated in-person visitation, leaving video calls as now the only way to see loved ones. Rate caps on video calls will vary from $0.11 to $0.25 per minute depending on the type of facility and its size. The new rules also prohibit providers from charging fees for separate “ancillary services” and curb kickbacks paid by companies to corrections systems.

It’s an important move—and one that was much needed. Confronted with predatory and inflated costs for phone and video calls, incarcerated people and their loved ones have struggled to stay connected. Family members have reported spending as much as $500 per month and working multiple jobs so they can afford calls to incarcerated loved ones. More than one in three families with an incarcerated family member report going into debt to stay connected.

The FCC’s order will help alleviate some of those costs. Worth Rises, a nonprofit advocacy organization, estimates that the new rules regarding prison phone rates will impact 1.4 million incarcerated people—or 83 percent of people behind bars—and save impacted families at least $500 million annually.

But there are other ways that correctional facilities and telecom companies still levy steep prison phone rates on communications between incarcerated people and their loved ones. Fees to send e-messages and even mail quickly add up, making it costly for people in prison to maintain ties with their support systems.

Read the full article about prison phone rates by Nazish Dholakia at The Vera Institute of Justice.