How much should phone calls cost at OPP?

LINK

(Not sure what happened with that link... whoops)

quote:

---

When people locked up in the New Orleans jail call their loved ones, the costs add up fast. Phone calls are 21 cents a minute, according to the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office.

---

]

Seems like this is middle ground. Some places it is free, some places, it costs more.

Jail is for punishment. But it's well proven that staying connected to the community helps reduce recidivism.

quote:

---

The sheriff was laying out the traditional argument from jail officials around the country who rely on commissions from private phone providers to help fill out budgets. In the case of the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office, the agency has a contract with prison phone industry giant Securus. It's one of two companies that dominate the field, and both give widely to law enforcement officials’ campaign accounts. Securus and its employees have donated at least $11,750 to Gusman’s election war chest since 2011.

Under the terms of its contract with the Sheriff’s Office, Securus sends an 86% commission on calls to the Sheriff’s Office. In 2018, that amounted to $973,000, according to public records from the Sheriff’s Office. As the jail’s population declined during the pandemic last year, the revenue dropped to $773,000.

---

I'm not sure free is the answer... but perhaps at cost is the answer. I'm not surprised that this company is contributing money to Gusman's campaign.

Also, whatever happened to calls from jail being collect calls? And do the inmates have to pay for calls to their attorneys?