Overview

• The FCC issued a two-year waiver delaying the Martha Wright-Reed Act price caps on prison phone and video calls until April 1, 2027.
• Carr argued that the 90-cent cap set by the 2024 FCC order would fall short of covering required security and monitoring expenses.
• Commissioner Anna Gomez vowed to challenge the waiver in court, accusing the Commission of evading its statutory duties and protecting profit-driven contracts.
• Unless new rules take effect, most prisons will continue charging families fees that can exceed $11 for a 15-minute call, often supplemented by kickbacks to local facilities.
• Prison telecom operators and some correctional agencies support the delay to install advanced safety tools and find alternative funding sources, while advocates warn that relatives will bear high costs for two more years.