Page 2 - Viapath Technologies News Today

California has almost completed distribution of Android tablets to all incarcerated people, a program aiming to ease communication and promote rehabilitation. Prisoners inside say it has changed the culture, but related costs can add up.

ORLANDO — The Florida Department of Corrections plans to allocate $1 million to a new program that will make a small number of phone calls free for people serving time

ORLANDO — The Florida Department of Corrections plans to allocate $1 million to a new program that will make a small number of phone calls free for people serving time

The pilot program limits the free calls to once a month.

ORLANDO, Fla. — The Florida Department of Corrections plans to allocate $1 million to a new program that will make a small number of phone calls free for people serving time in prison who display good behavior. Starting in October, incarcerated people who don’t receive a disciplinary report for three months will be eligible to make a free 15-minute phone call as part of a pilot included in the ...

In North Carolina prisons, a private company charges for every minute we want to send or receive messages. Every dollar isolates us more.

The agency has more authority to regulate the cost of those calls, which could mean significant savings for families of the incarcerated.

A lack of rooms and poor communication software has created a "perfect storm" that makes it hard for defendants to receive legal counsel.

Minnesota lawmakers are considering making prison phone calls free, joining two other states and about a dozen states considering similar legislation. It would cost the state $3.1 million annually to stop charging prisoners for phone calls.

ESSENCE spoke with Ra’Jiva and prison reformist—former White House advisor Tony Lowden who shared critical insights for returning citizens to avoid the recidivism trap.