Congresswoman Barbara Lee Issues Statement on Unjust Prison Telephone Charges
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 24, 2013
Contact: Carrie Adams (202) 225-2661
Washington, D.C.—Today, Congresswoman Barbara Lee issued the following statement in support of the Congressional Black Caucus’ Prison Telecom Reform Working Group:
“I am deeply concerned by the excessively high phone rates that our prisoners and their families are faced with.
“In order to address these concerns, the Congressional Black Caucus’ Prison Telecom Reform Working Group has called on the Federal Communication Commission to resolve this issue that has put a burden on vulnerable families for decades.
“Exorbitant phone charges in the prison system harm communities of color and the poor the most. At a time when families are at their most vulnerable, we need to make it easier to stay connected to their loved ones who are imprisoned. How can we expect inmates to successfully return to society if we are straining their support networks?
“This is but one more injustice piled on to our nation’s most marginalized. It’s time to bring some equality to this system.”
###
Follow Barbara Lee on Facebook and Twitter at @RepBarbaraLee. To learn more, visit lee.house.gov.
Congresswoman Lee is a member of the Appropriations and Budget Committees, the Steering and Policy Committee, is a Senior Democratic Whip, former chair of the Congressional Black Caucus and Progressive Caucus. She serves as chair of the newly formed Whip’s Task Force on Poverty and Opportunity.