Written by: Curtis A Brown

Photograph by: Credit Daniel Rosenbaum for The New York Times

FCC 13-113 Overview

On August 9, 2013 the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) adopted a new rule, FCC 13-113, which imposes a strict inmate interstate call rate cap.  The new rule, which will affect only calls made from one state to another, requires inmate communication providers to charge no more than $0.21 per minute for interstate prepaid calling and $0.25 per minute for interstate collect calling.  It also suggests that further regulation may be still to come, including ancillary charges as well as video visitation services.  Furthermore, the FCC strongly recommends that the states themselves adopt new regulation capping inmate call rates.  Many of our clients have asked if further regulation is on the horizon and what they can expect in the coming months.

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Written by Cyrus Heravi

A recent Federal Communications Commission (FCC) ruling 13-113 places a 21 cent per minute limit on interstate prepaid calls and a 25 cent per minute on interstate collect calls.

FCC Rule 13-113 Background

Like most industries today, the inmate communications industry is experiencing a shift in business as usual. The days of exorbitantly high calling rates and rejected calls to friends and family who cannot afford a simple phone conversation­­— these days are coming to an end. While we at Legacy believe that affordable rates for friends and family is essential to inmate rehabilitation and a healthier community, the new FCC ruling does present new challenges for the corrections industry and the vendors who provide secure communication services.

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