Should the friends and families of prisoners also be punished? Well, that’s precisely what is happening in New York, where the loved ones of prisoners are charged up to 600% more to accept a collect call. The monopoly contract of MCI with the New York Department of Corrections arbitrarily inflates the cost of collect calls from prisoners ($6/minute vs. the standard 7¢/minute) and kicks back the profit to the prisons and state legislators to secure the continuance of their financial relationship.

Is this fair? Of course not! Instead of punishing prisoners, the families and loved ones-- grandmothers, single mothers and friends-- are charged inordinate fees to fatten legislators’ pocketbooks. And since most prisoners come from poor communities, the ones with the least ability to pay are punished. Not only is this a human rights violation, it is a classist form of profiling.

Just imagine how many people are affected by this wrongful practice. THIS ISSUE HAS GONE UNCHECKED FOR TOO LONG. There will be a rally in New York City on November 16th, 2005 in Bryant Park to heighten public awareness about this terrible injustice. Please visit www.telephonejustice.org Or for more information, contact C. Zawadi Morris at 718-636-6044.