Telephone
Campaign
–
Facebook
Page
by
Joseph
M.
Jason
We're
starting
to
make
some
real
progress
on
the
Criminal
Justice
Committee,
and
we
hope
you
will
join
us!
Our
new
Facebook
Page
I am
pleased
to
announce
that
we
are
now
on
Facebook
with
articles
and
discussions
posted
in
the
site's
discussions
section.
Please
think
about
what
you
would
like
on
there.
The
possibilities
are
endless.
E-mail
me
your
articles
and
thoughts.
Or
visit
us
on
the
site
(You
can
also
find
us
by
typing
in
Criminal
Justice
Action
Committee
on
Facebook.)
Illinois
Campaign
For
Telephone
Justice
As
somebody
who
has
a
son
incarcerated
in
Iowa
for
the
crime
of
having
high
functioning
autism,
I
wanted
to
draw
your
attention
to
this
important
petition
that
I
recently
signed.
I
know
when
my
son
calls
us;
it
costs
approximately
$30.00
for
a 15
minute
call.
The
objective
of
this
petition
is
to
call
attention
to
the
exorbitant
and
often
prohibitive
costs
of
prison
phone
calls
in
Illinois.
The
contract
to
provide
telephone
service
to
all
Illinois
prisons
was
awarded
to
Consolidated
Public
Services,
a
division
of
Consolidated
Communications,
Inc.
Intrastate
rates
vary
according
to
how
far
the
recipient
of
the
collect
call
is
from
the
prison
initiating
the
call.
They
can
be
as
high
as
26
cents
per
minute
plus
a
surcharge
(commonly
referred
to
as a
connection
fee)
of
up
to
$2.50
per
call.
Out-of-state
rates
are
89
cents
per
minute
with
a
$3.95
surcharge
(connection
fee).
The
ILLINOIS
DEPARTMENT
OF
CORRECTIONS
insists
that
the
high
rates
are
necessary
in
order
to
maintain
monitoring
and
security
of
all
phone
calls.
However,
federal
prisons,
who
must
also
monitor
phone
calls
and
maintain
high
levels
of
security,
provide
federal
inmates
with
an
800-number
that
costs
only
7
cents
per
minute
with
no
surcharge.
Some
states
use
prepaid
phone
cards
to
reduce
the
cost.
It
is
possible
to
significantly
reduce
the
cost
of
prison
telephone
calls.
The
state
receives
a
kickback
commission
from
Consolidated
that
amounts
to
millions
of
dollars
per
year.
These
funds
are
then
considered
to
be
income
by
the
state
and
are
used
in
various
ways.
Because
other
states
use
these
funds
as a
means
to
provide
goods
and
services
for
inmates
it
is
logical
to
assume
that
Illinois
does
likewise.
Such
goods
and
services
are
rightly
the
responsibility
of
the
state,
and
not
the
burden
of
inmates
or
their
family
members.
"Illinois
Campaign
for
Telephone
Justice
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/illinoistelephonejustice/
This
This
is
an
important
cause,
and
I'd
like
to
encourage
you
to
add
your
signature,
too.
It's
free
and
takes
just
a
few
seconds
of
your
time.
Join
us
at
our
monthly
meeting
October
6
We
are
meeting
the
first
Wednesday
of
every
month
from
7-8:30
p.m.
at
the
Alexian
Center
for
Mental
Health,
3350
Salt
Creek
Lane-Suite
#114,
Arlington
Heights.
Can
you
join
us?
Please
email
Joseph
M.
Jason
or
phone
me
at
(847)
537-3009
with
any
questions.
Help
us
make
a
difference.
Thanks!
