Bill Introduced To Lower, Standardize WI Jail Phone Call Costs

By Isiah Holmes, Wisconsin Examiner

December 8, 2021

A group of legislators are calling for Wisconsin to move away from charging people incarcerated within county jails high rates for phone calls. In some counties, individuals may pay up to $14 for a 15-minute local phone call to their loved ones. Rep. Samba Baldeh (D-Madison) introduced the initiative Wednesday in the Capitol, alongside several other legislative colleagues.

Baldeh highlighted that these rates far exceed those for Wisconsinites who are not incarcerated. Additionally, he said that counties often choose the higher rates because they often receive a portion of the money from the contracts signed with telecommunications providers.

“These deals result in an average of about $7.65 for a 15 minute phone call,” said Baldeh. “It is important to note that most people in county jails are there because they have no money. Because they cannot bail themselves out of the jail and, therefore, stay there until their court cases are brought forward. In some cases, this takes years.”

Baldeh recalled a case seven years ago in which he was asked to interpret for a person incarcerated in a La Crosse county jail. The individual had been detained there for two years because there was no one who could interpret for him. “In some situations this takes a very long time,” Baldeh stressed. “And mind you that you have no source of income and you’re disconnected from your friends and family completely.”

Even the act of depositing money into an account in jail can, in fact, cost money. “If you go by the American law, they are innocent until proven guilty,” said Baldeh. “But at this point, they are treated as if they are guilty. This is a very bad practice that we must find a way to stop.”

Sen. LaTonya Johnson (D-Milwaukee), drove many of those points home during a Wednesday press conference. “As of December 2021, Wisconsin had 20,088 inmates serving time behind bars,” said Johnson. “However, those behind bars are not the only ones serving time. Their spouses, partners, parents, siblings and most importantly, their children, are serving these sentences as well. In many cases, these are already fragile relationships and support systems that become broken as a result of separation. The longer a parent and child are separated, the greater the relationship suffers.”

Johnson emphasized that such separation often creates a ripple effect that destabilizes families. “And just because an individual is jailed or sentenced doesn’t mean their responsibilities as a parent, care giver or spouse ends,” said Johnson. “In 2016, roughly 88,000 Wisconsin children had a parent behind bars. Latina children are five times as likely as white children to suffer these effects of losing a parent to the jail system. And African American children are twice as likely. In 2018-2019, the number of children with a parent behind bars rose to 100,348. And some children have the devastating circumstance of losing both parents to the criminal justice system.”

Different counties have different rates for jail phone calls. While costs for phone calls in state prisons can be less than a dollar, the same call could cost up to 15 times that amount in La Crosse County, and close to 10 times in Sheboygan. Rep. Evan Goyke (D-Milwaukee), a former public defender, paid particular attention to who is serving time in jail.

“There are a number of people around the state of Wisconsin that are in jail that will never be convicted of a crime,” explained Goyke. “Sometimes people are arrested and detained, and no charge is filed. Or charges are filed a week or a month later. Those individuals still deal with short-term incarceration. And it’s really important to emphasize that even short-term incarceration can have a devastating effect on an individual.”

Goyke asked, “Think about it. Tonight, if you would need to call, who would you need to speak to to keep you and your family affairs in order? Your employer about work tomorrow, potentially your landlord about a rent bill coming due, your spouse, your family members, childcare providers? And the list goes on and on.” Goyke stressed that, “everybody should have a standard, fair rate to access the outside world.”

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The group was also joined by Sen. Melissa Agard (D-Madison). She stressed that the new bill “is about compassion. It’s about doing the right thing. It’s about leveling the playing field.”

Baldeh previously noted that even if he were to contact his family in Africa, there would be no cost. “But we have people who are sitting in our county jails and within our corrections system who are not able to talk to their dear ones, to their employers, to their child care providers.” Agard added, “We need to use the changing times to embrace the fact that we need to catch up with them.”

As a former corrections employee, Rep. Shelia Stubbs (D-Madison) had also encountered this issue. “The jails in Wisconsin should not be profiting off of the calls,” said Stubbs. “In fact, right here in Dane County, these calls already do not generate revenue for the county.” Dane County Sheriff Kalvin Barrett joined the legislators at the news conference in calling for an end to the practice statewide.

“Research studies show that it is imperative for human relationships to be maintained by individuals who are incarcerated,” said Barrett. “Relationships strengthen the mental and emotional health of all persons that are going through incarceration. We must keep in mind that though someone is incarcerated, this does not reflect who they are but a simple choice that they might have made. And that this is not going to define who they are, or the person that they’re going to be.” He stressed that, “treatment and environment are the twin pillars that are the foundation of a forward-thinking criminal justice system that focuses on rehabilitation, over the draconian approach to simple incarceration.”

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