FCC Raises Prison Phone Rate Caps Prompting Democratic Criticism

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recently reversed a proposal that would have removed consumers' rights to stop robocalls, responding to public and advocacy group concerns about protecting consumers from intrusive calls. Meanwhile, the FCC voted to raise the maximum rates for prison and jail phone services, allowing higher charges that critics argue will burden inmates and their families, despite opposition from Democrats and criminal justice reform advocates who highlight the financial strain and negative impact on prisoner-family connectivity. The new pricing rules include an inflation factor and additional fees for correctional facility expenses, with FCC Chairman Brendan Carr defending the changes as necessary for maintaining safe and secure services. Senate Democrats have condemned the FCC's delay in implementing rate caps mandated by the Martha Wright-Reed law, calling the agency's action unlawful and harmful to incarcerated people and their families by potentially increasing call fees by up to 83%. These developments reflect ongoing tensions between regulatory efforts to protect vulnerable consumers and pressures from service providers and correctional institutions seeking higher revenues.