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Senate committee hears broad support for bill to make prison phone calls free
Summary
Senate Judiciary heard hours of testimony supporting Senate Bill 128, which would provide free phone communications between incarcerated people and their families. Supporters said free calls reduce disciplinary incidents and help reentry; opponents raised cost and implementation questions. The committee held the bill for further study.
Senate Judiciary Committee members heard extensive testimony April 3 on Senate Bill 128, a measure sponsored by Sen. [Senator] Coleman that would provide free telephone communications between incarcerated people and their families at the Adult Correctional Institutions (ACI).
Proponents, including the ACLU of Rhode Island and national nonprofit WorthRises, told the committee that reducing or eliminating call charges would strengthen family ties, reduce violence inside facilities and lower recidivism after release. "Family support can really change how successful a person is both during their incarceration and after their incarceration," Coleman said when introducing the bill. "Providing this kind of communication at no cost lifts a really important burden off the shoulders of Rhode Island families."
The bill’s backers presented local testimony and national…
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