House Democrats Slam FCC Chair Over Delay in Prison Phone Rate Caps

WASHINGTON, August 14, 2025 – Twenty-three House Democrats have urged Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr to act in accordance with the Martha Wright-Reed Act’s deadline to cap prison phone rates. 

Passed in 2023 with bipartisan support, the Act mandated that the FCC “cap the soaring costs of phone and video calls for incarcerated people” by January 5, 2025. In July 2024, the FCC unanimously approved rules capping rates at $0.06 to $0.12 per minute for phone calls, and as low as $0.11 per minute for video calls, depending on facility size

The letter, filed Tuesday, charged that the FCC’s decision under Chairman Carr to pause the implementation of these rate caps until 2027 – despite the fact that the rules had already gone into effect – went against congressional intent.

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“Stopping implementation of the FCC’s 2024 rate caps until 2027 appears to violate this statutory requirement and represents a deeply troubling reversal that will prolong the exploitation of incarcerated individuals and the families who struggle to stay connected with them,” the lawmakers stated in the letter. 

Furthermore, the lawmakers took issue with the Wireline Competition Bureau’s justification for halting implementation of the 2024 rules: financial challenges for prison operators. 

According to the lawmakers’ letter, under the current system – the one the Martha Wright-Reed Act sought to change – many prison telecom providers win exclusive contracts with facilities by paying them commissions worth up to 50 percent of the money families spend on calls, “turning basic communication into a revenue stream for prison operators.”

“This model drives up prices and places institutional profit ahead of the human need for connection and rehabilitation,” the lawmakers wrote. 

The letter then turned to the impact on prisoners, arguing that phone and video calls are “essential lifelines that maintain family bonds and support mental health,” rather than luxuries. 

The lawmakers detailed stories of families having to sacrifice meals and other necessities to contact their loved ones behind bars, demonstrating the broader impact of the delay in rate caps.

“These personal sacrifices are not without consequence,” the lawmakers reported. “Research shows that maintaining family connections while incarcerated leads to better reentry outcomes and reduces recidivism. When we make it harder for people behind bars to communicate with their families, we aren’t just punishing them, we’re undermining public safety and community stability.”

The letter concludes by reminding Carr that the law was passed to put an end to the injustices listed above, named after a grandmother who fought for 20 years against inflated prison telecom costs so she could speak with her incarcerated grandson. It also reiterated that Carr already voted to implement these protections in 2024.

“Reversing course now is not only a disservice to the Commission’s mission, but a betrayal of public trust,” the lawmakers said. “Every additional year of delay prolongs the suffering of millions of Americans and perpetuates a system that profits off incarceration.”