"This is a means to help strengthen families," FCC Acting Chairwoman Mignon Clyburn told CNNMoney before the vote took place. "Communication is key, particularly when families are separated."

A typical 15-minute, state-to-state call costs $17 in some states, compared to about $1 in New York, where prison phone rates have already been reformed. That can make communication with family members prohibitively expensive for many inmates.

The commissioners voted to impose a cap of 25 cents a minute for a collect call, and 21 cents a minute for a debit or prepaid call. That is less than one-fourth the current rate in some locations.

Many prisons offer exclusive deals to phone service providers in exchange for astronomical commissions that can add up to 88% to the cost of a call. The proposed regulations would prevent providers from recovering the cost of these commissions for long-distance, interstate calls.

http://money.cnn.com/2013/08/09/technology/prison-phone-calls/index.html

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