December 01st, 2022

Human Rights Defense Center maintains                          the Prison Phone Justice website



The issue of prison and jail phone calls, which typically cost much more than non-prison calls. Prison phone contracts are based on a "commission" model, where the phone service provider pays a commission (kickback) to the contracting government agency, such as a state prison system or county jail. These kickbacks inflate the costs of prison and jail phone calls, which in the vast majority of cases are paid not by prisoners but by their family members. This website includes detailed information on state-by-state prison phone rates and commission data, as well as reports, articles and other resources related to prison phone services and the prison phone industry.


Also please visit the Campaign for Prison Phone Justice site, which includes resources for getting involved in this issue as an advocate or activist.

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 State Kickbacks paid by families 
Kickback percentage Cost of 15 min call 
Rank for call affordability

Federal Bureau of Prisons No kickbacks $3.75 44th

Alabama    $3,912,675.63  $3.75  44th

Alaska       $1,164,059.91  $3.75 44th

Arizona.    $8,274,270.31 $3.00. 41st

Arkansas.     $2,504,327.05 $4.80 48th

California     No kickbacks $1.23  23rd

Colorado       No kickbacks  $1.80 29th

Connecticut  $5,090,732.25  $4.87 49th

Delaware      $2.29 34th

Florida.         $5,156,269.19 $2.10.   31st

Georgia         $8,062,200.60 $2.40 35th

Hawai           $200,000.00 $1.05  17th

Idaho.            $849,732.15  $1.65  26th

Illinois             No kickbacks $1.05  17th

Indiana               $1,696,977.76  $3.84 47th

Iowa                  $677,159.61  $1.13. 19th

Kansas                $2.70 39th

Kentucky            $5.70       51st

Louisiana      $3,044,009.33. $3.15   43rd

Maine        $367,231.71 $5.30  50th

Maryland      No kickbacks  483rd

Massachusetts$2,388,145.59. $1.50 24th

Michigan      $9,889,212.1871.75  $2.40 35th

Minnesota  $625,022.48 $0.60 6th

Mississippi  $42,000.00   $0.58  5th

Missouri $1,542,524.85  $0.75   10th

Montana   $276,000.00 $2.14  33rd

Nebraska No kickbacks. $0.94 15th

Nevada  $5,000,000.00   $2.10  31st

New Hampshire $360,000.00  $0.20 1st
​
New Jersey       No kickbacks. $0.6  69th

New Mexico        No kickbacks   $1.20 21st

New York         No kickbacks $0.64  8th

North Carolina     $7,627,426.11    $1.50  24th

North Dakota       $97,856.1240% $1.1820th

Ohio                 No kickbacks   $0.75 10th

Oklahoma         $1,017,657.90  $3.00 41st

Oregon           $3,000,000.00   $2.40  35th

Pennsylvania    $3,470,852.00  $0.88 3rd

Rhode Island     No kickbacks      42nd

South Carolina    No kickbacks  2nd

South Dakota     $454,360.50     $1.20  21st

Tennessee        $4,080,000.00  $2.40  35th

Texas             $6,760,593.15  $0.90   14th

Utah                  $1,003,057.31 $2.85   40th

Vermont          $165,691.680.01  $1.04  16th

Virginia              $3,794,747.4935  27th

Washington        $3,856,229.00  $1.65 26th

West Virginia      $0.1% $0.4   83rd

Wisconsin.        $625,586.27  $1.80 29th

Wyoming          $63,282.88  $1.65  26th