in the matter of rates for interstate inmate calling ...frances jackson joan waite kate phillips...
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E m p o w e r A d v o c a t e R e f o r m
December 13, 2013 Marlene H. Dortch, Commission Secretary Federal Communications Commission Office of the Secretary 445 12th Street, SW Room TW-B204 Washington, DC 20554 Re: In the Matter of Rates for Interstate Inmate Calling Services, WC Docket No. 12-375,
“Inmate Calling Services for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Community” Dear Commissioners:
We, the undersigned Deaf Community members, allies and national and state
organizations, urge you to mandate the installation of videophones, captioned telephones and other auxiliary aids to support access to telecommunication for deaf, hard of hearing, deaf-blind and speech challenged prisoners and their family members.
On August 9, 2013, the Federal Communications Commission (“Commission”) appropriately voted to limit the sky-high rates charged by ICS providers to family members of all prisoners. For years, ICS providers have charged these same excessive rates for calls via Telecommunication Devices for the Deaf (“TTY”)—a technology that can require more than quadruple the amount of time it takes to use a videophone or voice telephone. Some ICS providers have chosen not to provide any technology for prisoners with disabilities, while others provided equipment but erected other barriers to access—charging extra for prisoners to use TTYs; blocking telephone relay numbers, placing TTY technology in locations that are locked or inaccessible, or even creating phone systems that function solely through voice-command.
The Commission’s own reports indicate that TTY calls account for a mere 12% of the
total relay volume and that TTY usage is continuously decreasing, having cut in half over the past seven years. To make matters worse, TTYs and videophones are incompatible. This means that deaf prisoners in hundreds of prisons across the nation cannot communicate with their loved ones who no longer use outmoded TTY technology.
Simply put, family members of deaf prisoners have endured an even greater financial burden and often have been entirely denied communication with their loved ones solely based on disability. The Commission emphasizes that its recent efforts are to ensure that “rates for Inmate Calling Services are just, reasonable, and fair.” While we applaud the Commission’s decision to ensure that rates are just and reasonable, we remind the Commission that there is no fairness without equality.
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E m p o w e r A d v o c a t e R e f o r m
At base, the Commission must employ its authority to mandate that:
(1) ICS providers ensure that deaf and hard of hearing prisoners, prisoners
with deaf family members, and prisoners with speech challenges have access to videophones, captioned telephones, TTYs and other auxiliary aids;
(2) ICS providers reduce rates charged for videophone and TTY such that family members of deaf prisoners pay the same amount for the same amount of communication;
(3) ICS providers immediately add all relay numbers, including Spanish relay numbers, to its list of approved numbers; and
(4) ICS providers assemble and report data regarding rates for and complaints from prisoners with disabilities and their family members.
Anything short of a Commission order mandating these four fundamental components of universally accessible Inmate Calling Services will leave countless prisoners and their family members exactly where they were prior to the Commission’s decision—disconnected. Universal accessibility is part and parcel of fairness and the rights of people with disabilities should not be disregarded for regulatory convenience.
The Commission has the authority to ensure that individuals with disabilities have equal telecommunication access and we are calling upon you to ensure that prison telecommunication is affordable and universally accessible—that fair reaches all, not some. Sincerely, Talila A. Lewis, President, HEARD & the Undersigned Individuals and Organizations
Ki'Tay D. Davidson DISABILITY RIGHTS COALITIONJason TozierJody DennistonKathryn KerrAlec Mcfarlane LIBRARY FOR DEAF ACTION (LDA)Ethan JohnsonAnthony BarrazaMelanie BatesJeff RosenJennifer S. MarchakJames E.C. Norris, M.D.Gerard RomilusDonna CampGeorgia OttoniPauline E. Higgins LEGALCarolina Herrera AYUDALeticia ArellanoBob LendermanNicole RideoutV ParkerDeirdre Burchette DC VRJuan RiveraEdward CheskyCorinne WarrenPhillip DanielMarguerite MontgomeryKarlina Maria WiederholdRegina AjiboyeJames E. Green Sr. VIRGINIA CARES EX-OFFENDERS PROGRAMAngela DavisArielle AdamsRegional Center For Independent Living RCILDean DerussoBets Wohl RSATracy Rosenberg MEDIA ALLIANCEBendita MalakiaNina EndlerSteven Renderos CENTER FOR MEDIA JUSTICEVivian Penda SACEmily RileyJuliana SarkodeeAnne Ehrkichmann EMBRACING LAMBS MINISTRIES
Brad WilliamsJonathan HopkinsCarlos ParejaBrian AmbroseLinda LobelloGolly LarryClifford AndrewsJames ColeRobert Greenawalt JrWillard Bass INSTITUTE FOR DISMANTLING RACISM, INPaul VandecarrMegan ArnoldNicolette Davis AMERICAN UNIVERSITYRebecca HeinsenJoy LawsonJacqueline Youm AU WCLTinesha JacksonAlex Friedmann HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENSE CENTERJohn Mark SmeenkJanie WillnerLeila KangSheila MooreNicholas MarritzShanya LarsenBenro OgunyipeJoyce TesarJennifer Heiser HEARDJohn Zottoli RETIREDShelby FlanaganAshley PappineauJonathan Dollhopf SOUTHERN TIER INDEPENDENCE CENTERCheryl HeppnerBrandi McgowanJulia SandersFeta FernslerJill Moebus VAD, NVAD, NVRCGary Gray BLACK ATHLETE SPORTS NETWORKKylie MusolfJennifer HessBarbara Eger-Klatt SELF-EMPLOYEDDiane WhiteLindsay Michie THOUSAND KITES
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Mason Wiley PUBLIC INTERNATIONAL LAW & POLICY GSteve TozierDavid Steib OFFICE OF PUBLIC INTERESTChristine Kregg JUST DETENTION INTERNATIONALMatthew Smith WASHINGTON COLLEGE OF LAW
National Legal Aid & Defender AssociatioNATIONAL LEGAL AID & DEFENDER ASSOCChider ObiyorStacy DrudyRaji Pokhrel ADHIKAARPedro Joel Espinosa IDEPSCAAmanda UllandGary FitlebergMegan ThomasLenore MooreGordon Pickering MARYLAND ASSOCIATION OF THE DEAFValerie AggerbeckDebbie BaughAlisa TragerLyndsey SmithJoan CorleyAndrea ShettleTjetesa Posthuma
Mei KennedyDeborah Palsha MOTHER OF A DEAF IN-MATEJason YehCynthia MaupinElois P. Clayton NAARPRMarisa RinkevichShantel MorrisonCarrie LinAlbert LindermanJerri Middlebrook-Vogel BIRTH DOULA/HERBALISTJulie BriedRoger SmedmanCharlene CowanBuzz ForsytheWillie LewisSam BrooksKayleigh Marshall HEARDRick CarverMichelle HeereyLeo JohnsonKamalii Yeh GarciaKaatje Vargas DISABLED PERSONJim Ernst OWNER OF LAWN SERVICEStephanie Sanders WIFE OF AN DEAF MUTESherwin Turkin SELFHawa CoulibalyHawa CoulibalyDistrict Alliance For Safe Housi (Dash) DISTRICT ALLIANCE FOR SAFE HOUSING, IMentoring Mentoring Today MENTORING TODAY
National Legal Aid & Defender AssociatioNATIONAL LEGAL AID & DEFENDER ASSOCMeg Davidson
Michael Bunjer DEAFHOOD POLITICS NOW (DEAF FREEDOJamie WhitbreadCarol HarterCarol HarterTailina GarciaHaley Ritter ASL INTERPRETER, NIC/EIPACatherine CannonHeather Daley
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Arli Christian NATIONAL CENTER FOR TRANSGENDER EQCathy KissingerCarol HirschFelicia WilliamsKylie BrooksBlair RasmusKrystal SalterCallie FryeCorinne PalaiaRobert Malka MALKA COMMUNICATIONS GROUP, INC.Shannon MillerMichael GallagherMichelle SanbornJohn BriggsLindsay HallockFrederick RogersElizabeth SchepplerJenny PowleyLiz RentnerWesley BrownCatherine KarnesMary E WambachKat Taylor EQUAL RIGHTS CENTER
Eleanor Ward CHARLES COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF SOCIZoraida Robles-RosaLeona UrbanRose Trabert HEARDPeggy Key LOVERS LANE MARKETPLACE, UMWJanice AronsonCari WatrousRoshni PatelRenuka Purimetla H.E.A.R.DCharles Blackmon DALLAS BLACK DEAF ADVOCATESBayla Gewirtz
Audrey FosterSusan FlaniganRobin MarlinDeborah F Titus HEARDRobin GerstadNur AbdulleKathy BartlettLoan TranCourtney HarperLettie NazlooBeckie MorielloAlice Hagemeyer FOLDARobert CagleTashana EdmondsonDrew RobargeSharon NodineJessica JudeWinnie ChuMarc KealhoferLawana JonesJoan HarveyGeorge Schroeder WSJDAngela Berlingeri CUDAPKristin Hirsch CUDAPJonathan Masci CUDAPJacqueline Rachaf CUDAPAmanda BringhurstLaura QuinnMeredith BurkeNancy CrawfordLois Ahrens THE REAL COST OF PRISONS PROJECTDanna PopeMelissa JaganaughtJames Owen LimbachKelsey CookLonnisha LewisPeter KrugFaun RockcliffeGeorgia OttoniQuenton JordanElizabeth LagattaEmmet Yepa
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Maxwell Shea HELPING EDUCATE TO ADVANCE THE RIGEverita SafraEmily Glenn-Smith UNIVERSITY AT BUFFALOGlenna CooperLaura MondragonPat Bliss HEARDCaroline JacksonKia HendrixKia HendrixGalen Baughman INTERNATIONAL CURECapricia AveryTabitha MarkelAsia Brown TOWSON UNIVERSITYRebekka HalsethTodd Reynolds
Tiffany ThomasAlice Hagemeyer FOLDAKay YoungbloodMarcus BiggsSue RamirezJennifer NayreRhonda Easley ACCESS ALASKAColleen MoomeyNikisha CarpenterFrances StilwellAmanda RhoadsSandra GirardSallie Mae PauleySandra TussingKatie StocktonLinda KennedyMindy MooreRobin KennedyMark KennedyRoberta Lynn DanielsLinda LangerGayle GarciaLance MannNicole SauvageauJulia WolhandlerConnie LoperMichael PachuiloJennifer ColemanMarcy Jo MorfordAaron YoungbloodPatricia Lange-MorfordDanae CrozatDanielle GraybillMary HamlynMartha HarvardJimmy AshworthMelinda FennertValerie ReidTom RoseLindsay VineMarian LucasTrudy Morita
Chito CamposPatricia TrowbridgeKaren ParkerSandra AmmonsLarry MancillElizabeth ZeibotDawn WarnerTara FinkleJan ClappLiz RentnerAmy TaylorMonica FrederickGeorgina Kuehne 1971Leonard Kuehne 1971Ryan CatronVie GoldmanJannifer WilliamsDerek HodgsonChristina MullinsK CarpenterRobert BallengeeMargaux Delotte-BennettGabriela VillarroelMelinda BogdanovichV CrRebecca EtheridgeAndrea GalerLeslie HusseyCary BishopAngela TrahanChevelle BarronDonna FineMarsha HelmuthDanielle BarbinElizabeth RothmanSara Lee HerzigMalibu BarronRomye Teague BennettGeorgina PatonCathy BorenJune AlsobrookLeticia Arellano
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Randa Abu-RahmehRussell HarvardErica WynnColleen MoomeyAndraya Scott-HarrisKay YoungbloodSherill ArcherSherill Archer
Tyrone Giordano GALLAUDET UNIVERSITY, ASL AND DEAF Merideth OliverBruce Hubbard AUSTINE ALUMNI ASSOICATIONBruce Hubbard AUSTINE ALUMNI ASSOICATIONBruce Hubbard AUSTINE ALUMNI ASSOICATIONHinda KasherNicole MarchesanoMonique Barney
Elizabeth Pattison VERMONT CENTER FOR THE DEAF AND HARaychelle Harris
Jonathan O'Hara HEARD VOLUNTEER PRISONER-ADVOCATBellamie BachledaSharon Ann DrorDanny HernandezKenneth RothschildWilliam LoftusRichard Latini IiiKeri OgrizovichTerrylene SacchettiAndrea SmithJulia PergoliniElizabeth VitaLizzie SorkinKristen ChapmanAnne PotterTania PattersonSandra JaramilloGeorge LareauGail Mosawy CRESCENT TECHNICAL SERVICESCarrie Lou GarberoglioChrissie Preuss
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Tina Hanford DIVISION OF VOCATIONAL REHABILITATIOLinda MorrisRossana ReisKathleen CampbellPaul LuhouseMia Rsy
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