ALBANY, NY — Today, advocates from the New York Connecting Families coalition delivered 14,590 signed petitions to Governor Kathy Hochul, urging her to allocate $21.6 million in the state’s budget to make prison and jail communication free across New York. Today’s action comes in the midst of budget discussions. The Assembly’s proposed state budget released March 14th includes $9.9 million to make communication free in New York’s state prisons. The most recent budget proposals from the Governor and Senate are silent on the issue.

“New York City became the first city in the nation to make jail calls free in 2018. Since then, calls between incarcerated people in New York City and their loved ones have increased by nearly 40% and families have saved roughly $40 million. That’s thousands of families connected and millions of dollars protected from the greedy hands of the prison telecom industry,” said Bianca Tylek, Executive Director of Worth Rises. “Governor Hochul and state legislators have the opportunity to bring the same relief to families across the state with loved ones behind bars. We join thousands of New Yorkers in demanding they do so. As the nation’s liberal beacon, New York must continue to lead on the issue of prison phone justice.”

“Fines and fees make it hard for people to meet their basic needs, both behind bars and outside of them,” said Antonya Jeffrey, New York State Director at the Fines and Fees Justice Center. “Communication fees are one of these many obstacles for families who have loved ones involved with the criminal legal system. Ending these fees will put money back into the pockets of New Yorkers and keep families connected.”

“Today, we delivered thousands of petitions to the steps of the New York Capitol to send a powerful message to Governor Kathy Hochul and the state legislature: New Yorkers want all families to stay connected,” said Scott Roberts, senior director of criminal justice and democracy campaigns at Color Of Change. “At jails and prisons across New York, telecommunications companies are price gouging incarcerated individuals and their loved ones with sky-high costs for calls and e-mails. And because of systemic racism in the legal and carceral systems, these families are overwhelmingly Black and low-income. We’re standing with thousands of New Yorkers to urge Gov. Hochul and New York legislators to pass the Connecting Families bill and keep New York families connected.”

“Most children whose parents are incarcerated long to speak with them consistently. They are eager to tell them about their school day, share updates, and hear their parent’s words of encouragement and reassurance that they are loved. But many families affected by incarceration cannot afford these treasured phone calls, or must divide precious minutes on the phone among family members, leaving children feeling disconnected and alone. The Connecting Families Act remedies this and supports children’s well-being by ensuring access to free phone calls and therefore, an opportunity to build, maintain, and strengthen bonds with their parents. The 1 in 28 children whose parents are incarcerated are counting on the Governor to SEE and SUPPORT them by funding the Connecting Families New York Act,” said Allison Hollihan, Senior Policy Manager at the Osborne Association and New York Initiative for Children of Incarcerated Parents.

“The pandemic has exacerbated the separation of families with loved ones in prison over the last two years. Children with parents behind New York state prison walls have been physically, emotionally, and financially taxed by this experience,” said Ebony Underwood, Chief Executive Officer of WE GOT US NOW. “Free voice communications in New York would help to alleviate the strain of separation by allowing incarcerated parents to maintain a connection at no cost to their children or families.”

“People in DOCCS custody and their loved ones are harmed every day by the outrageous costs imposed by telecom companies on prison phone calls. It doesn’t have to be like this. NYCDS was proud to fight for and help win passage of the free phone calls bill in New York City,” said Stan Germán, Executive Director of New York County Defender Services. “We are now working with the Connecting Families coalition and state legislators to bring the benefits of free calls to our former clients incarcerated upstate and their families. The Assembly’s budget allocation is a crucial first step in ending the crippling extraction of wealth from Black and brown communities by telecom companies.”

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