BOSTON — Advocates are criticizing state lawmakers for a lack of funding in the state budget for a new program offering free phone calls to prison inmates.
On Friday, the state Legislature signed off on the final version of the $58 billion state budget that included $10 million for the state Department of Correction and county sheriffs to provide phone calls to prisoners at no cost. The spending package is awaiting action by Gov. Maura Healey.
That’s less than one-third of the $35 million Healey requested for the “no-cost calls” program in her preliminary budget filed in January, according to the group Keep Families Connected/No Cost Calls Coalition, which criticized the lack of funding.
“Phone calls are a lifeline for families separated by incarceration,” the group stated. “Maintaining communication with loved ones is essential for the well-being of people who are incarcerated and their families alike. Regular communication facilitates individuals’ successful return to the community, benefiting us all.”
The coalition called on the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security to seek bids for a new contract that will lower the cost of communication services in state prisons and jails. The group noted that the state is paying an average of 10 cents per minute, which is higher than many other states.
“The Department of Correction and virtually all sheriffs’ departments are still overpaying for these services,” the group said.
Massachusetts is one of five states to offer free prison calls after Healey and lawmakers approved the program with no cap on the number of minutes or calls, videos or emails.
Healey had proposed a limit of up to 1,000 minutes a month, but lawmakers opted to make the calls “unlimited.”
Lawmakers approved $20 million in funding for the program in a previous budget cycle, which was used to implement the new program in December.
County sheriffs have expressed concern that the money allocated by the state won’t be enough to cover the costs of providing free calls, with about 12,000 prisoners in the system statewide. Some have raised concerns about public safety and access to a limited number of phones.
In 2018, Massachusetts families spent an estimated $25 million on phone calls to incarcerated relatives, according to the advocacy group Worth Rises, which estimates that correctional facilities received about $7 million in commissions.
A group of former inmates filed a lawsuit several years ago over fees charged to inmates for phone calls that plaintiffs called an “illegal kickback scheme,” driving up costs for inmates and their families, and restricting their ability to communicate with lawyers and loved ones.
Plaintiffs argued that a 2009 law bringing county sheriffs under the state’s regulatory umbrella does not allow them to charge exorbitant fees or collect commissions from prisoners’ phone calls. But the state’s Supreme Judicial Court issued a ruling in 2022 that allows county sheriffs to continue charging inmates.
Most of the state’s prisons and correctional facilities contract with a private vendor to facilitate the calls. While the state Department of Correction has charged 12 to 14 cents per minute for calls, some sheriffs have charged up to 40 cents per minute, advocates say.
In 2021, sheriffs announced an agreement to provide inmates with 10 minutes of free phone calls per week and to charge no more than 14 cents per minute afterward.
It’s not clear exactly how much the free phone calls are costing the state, as the Healey administration hasn’t released any data on use of the money that has already been allocated.
“While the coalition has obtained some information about current costs, neither the coalition nor the public knows what the total cost is since free calls took effect, because there has been no reporting to the Legislature,” the group said. “Indeed, the statutorily required reporting is months overdue.”
Christian M. Wade covers the Massachusetts Statehouse for North of Boston Media Group’s newspapers and websites. Email him at cwade@cnhinews.com.