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FCC asks states to lower the cost of in-state inmate calls

Posted at 2:08 PM, Sep 22, 2020
and last updated 2020-09-22 16:08:25-04

BOISE, Idaho — Data from the Federal Communications Commission shows 37 jails and juvenile detention centers across Idaho charge more for inmates and families to make in-state calls than they can legally charge for out-of-state phone calls.

That means the vast majority of inmate calls are charged at what the FCC calls “exorbitantly high rates.” FCC Chairman Ajit Pai asked U.S. governors on Tuesday to lower the rates in their states.

In Idaho, the highest rates are in Lewis and Clearwater counties, where inmates pay more than $17 for a 15-minute in-state call.