Post by janet on Jun 18, 2008 16:08:56 GMT -5
With regard to the thread, 'Family Telephone Protection Act', this request is made due to the following urgent situation in Mississippi.
The telephone service provider was Correctional Billing Services, which worked as well as possible. Without notice, Mississippi Department of Corrections changed that provider to Global Tel-Link on June 10th, 2008. This has resulted in utter chaos for families.
Many telephone lines have been 'blocked'. In order to pre-pay an account, inmates loved ones are subject to a 19% service charge. Since many are impoverished, this effectively, disengages them from loved ones. If a credit card payment is made by telephone, $25.00 of a $50.00 payment is considered a service charge.
The situation cannot continue without it reverberating into instances of violence in this penitentiary. We've seen it in the past. I urge each of you to take the time to contact MDOC, objecting to this discriminatory, arbitrary change.
The telephone service provider was Correctional Billing Services, which worked as well as possible. Without notice, Mississippi Department of Corrections changed that provider to Global Tel-Link on June 10th, 2008. This has resulted in utter chaos for families.
Many telephone lines have been 'blocked'. In order to pre-pay an account, inmates loved ones are subject to a 19% service charge. Since many are impoverished, this effectively, disengages them from loved ones. If a credit card payment is made by telephone, $25.00 of a $50.00 payment is considered a service charge.
The situation cannot continue without it reverberating into instances of violence in this penitentiary. We've seen it in the past. I urge each of you to take the time to contact MDOC, objecting to this discriminatory, arbitrary change.