<story><title>Massachusetts becomes fifth state to make prison calls free</title><url>https://www.wgbh.org/news/local/2023-11-17/massachusetts-becomes-fifth-state-in-nation-to-make-prison-calls-free</url></story><parent_chain><item><author>qingcharles</author><text>When I first went to jail (for being poor) it was costing me $1.50&amp;#x2F;min to call my family.&lt;p&gt;Six years later, when I was still locked up, my mother was dying of cancer and I could only afford to call her for five minutes a day.&lt;p&gt;Illinois at least dropped the prices of its prison calls to 1¢&amp;#x2F;min.&lt;p&gt;Amazing that this bill includes the county jails. Often jail and prison regulations are totally separate and jails usually get the short end of the stick.&lt;p&gt;And remember, it is never the prisoners that pay for the calls. It is always the friends and family having to put money onto the phone or commissary accounts. Often a male prisoner has left behind a woman and children and they have lost their primary income, but now they are being burdened with paying for phone calls, hygiene products, clothing and food for their loved one too.</text></item></parent_chain><comment><author>q1w2</author><text>I&amp;#x27;d love to hear the details of your situation.&lt;p&gt;When a judge sets bail bond (which is what you&amp;#x27;re referring to in your prior comments - yes I read back because I was curious), it is either to ensure the accused returns for trial, or they set it very high to keep them in jail because they are a significant flight-risk.&lt;p&gt;I suspect you being a UK citizen was a big factor there - but I&amp;#x27;m very surprised that your case is taking TEN YEARS and that you&amp;#x27;ve been in jail the majority of that time.  How does that happen?  Are you appealing a prior case outcome?&lt;p&gt;You also got 1.5 additional years for violating a court gag order on your own case?  Is that right?</text></comment>
<story><title>Massachusetts becomes fifth state to make prison calls free</title><url>https://www.wgbh.org/news/local/2023-11-17/massachusetts-becomes-fifth-state-in-nation-to-make-prison-calls-free</url></story><parent_chain><item><author>qingcharles</author><text>When I first went to jail (for being poor) it was costing me $1.50&amp;#x2F;min to call my family.&lt;p&gt;Six years later, when I was still locked up, my mother was dying of cancer and I could only afford to call her for five minutes a day.&lt;p&gt;Illinois at least dropped the prices of its prison calls to 1¢&amp;#x2F;min.&lt;p&gt;Amazing that this bill includes the county jails. Often jail and prison regulations are totally separate and jails usually get the short end of the stick.&lt;p&gt;And remember, it is never the prisoners that pay for the calls. It is always the friends and family having to put money onto the phone or commissary accounts. Often a male prisoner has left behind a woman and children and they have lost their primary income, but now they are being burdened with paying for phone calls, hygiene products, clothing and food for their loved one too.</text></item></parent_chain><comment><author>dvektor</author><text>qingcharles I keep running into you in HN threads, I&amp;#x27;m just gonna leave this here:&lt;p&gt;preston@unlockedlabs.org&lt;p&gt;hit me up sometime</text></comment>