tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post5772813846933239509..comments2024-03-25T20:06:39.794-05:00Comments on Grits for Breakfast: Improving phone access, parole rates, headline Monday's Corrections agendaGritsforbreakfasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10152152869466958902noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-37762819230273062532007-04-02T06:20:00.000-05:002007-04-02T06:20:00.000-05:00Prisons receive a legal 50 cent kickback from AT&T...Prisons receive a legal 50 cent kickback from AT&T for every $1... big money for corrections! According to Joe Hallinan, in his book "Going Up the River," prisons have become one of the nations biggest growth industries. Joe writes:" With more than 1.4 million people behind bars, in this country, people are scrambling to cash in on a market estimated to be worth 34.8 billion a year."(2001. p.156)panhandle mamahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07592610788279480198noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-20073526048524869302007-03-31T01:26:00.000-05:002007-03-31T01:26:00.000-05:00People Against Prison Abuse aka PAPA will be posti...People Against Prison Abuse aka PAPA will be posting this information to all the messages boards in our links.This is so needed in TDCJ, telephones, as stated this will stop a lot of the abuse going on plus help the Love Ones of Prisoners to have some comfort. Those that have not walked through the valleys of the prison system with their Love Ones do not understand the stress on Love Ones of not knowing if they are okay.Numerous messages have been received from Inmates that speak of what a difference it would make to have phones in the system.The General Public does not understand that many of the guards assume it is their second jobs to smuggle in contraban into the prisons of cell phones, tobacco, drugs, X-R materials, etc. to Inmates that will pay for their services and products. Gov.Perry veteoed the bill about a year or so ago that looked like it was going to finally happen, getting phones into the prison system. The estimated profits at that time for the prison phone system was to be like $78 million ???? per year. That woud certainly help on the cost of operating prisons I would think. PAPAPAPAhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05778667657874134437noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-35669744340737331532007-03-30T13:25:00.000-05:002007-03-30T13:25:00.000-05:00@ anonymous 1:48 ~ sorry. This is one bill I feel ...@ anonymous 1:48 ~ sorry. This is one bill I feel very strongly about, for so many reasons (including the ones anonymous #2 listed), and I did see that you said the charges should be 'reasonable'. I tend to go into rant mode on this issue really quickly, so please forgive my assuming you werent in favour of the bill.<BR/><BR/>Aside from that, I'd rather the money I send my hubby went towards phone calls for us than cigarettes from him. I'd like him to come home sometime and be fit enough to have a future with, so maybe that's just me being selfish on that one.<BR/><BR/>I'll leave the parole thing for now, one rant per thread is plenty!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-29762697836258958002007-03-30T07:15:00.000-05:002007-03-30T07:15:00.000-05:00Don't be so sure the telephone bill will pass. By...Don't be so sure the telephone bill will pass. By giving our prisoners quicker access to their family a multitude of hidden abuses will be revealed much quicker than snail mail. It has always been my feeling that the lack of accessible phones for our prisoners is a sure way to keep their family from knowing (quickly) what is happening on a unit, thus keeping a quick investigation or resolution from transpiring. Guard abuse, lack of medical, major cases, and any number of issues can be diminished with the time it takes to get a letter out. Add to that naming names. When a prisoner writes a name in a letter that the mailroom staff will read chances are retaliation will occur before there is family involvement. I would personally rather pay the price of a phone call than wait one week to hear about a problem on the unit with my loved one. Many prisoners will not go through the hassle of getting their 90 day call. Saying no to the phone bill will just keep the status quo and the shroud of secrecy will remain.<BR/><BR/>Cigarettes back in the prisons would stop the guard black market only for cigarettes. They still have the cell phone and drug trade to supplement their income. The health issues regarding cigarettes are a moot point when you consider the level of medical care our prisoners receive. My vet is more thorough than most of the unit doctors these days. However, in fairness to those prisoners who are non-smokers; should cigarettes return to the units TDCJ would need to have several key units for those who do not smoke. <BR/><BR/>As for the bills regarding parole, anything would be better than what we have. Not only does the parole board NOT go by their own rules, I doubt seriously any of them know the rules. I just love the reason "nature of the crime." Pray tell, how do the prisoners change the nature of the crime? They can't; however, they can change with some form of quality rehabilitation. It is time to remove descretionary from the parole boards vocabulary and reinstate mandatory releases.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-55050173462218331362007-03-30T01:48:00.000-05:002007-03-30T01:48:00.000-05:00Sunray's wench, I do agree with your comments. Pl...Sunray's wench, I do agree with your comments. Please note I did say "The cahrges must be reasonable."<BR/><BR/>I'm in favor of the bill however, I doubt the charges will be anywhere near reasonable! I'll be more careful to make my position clearer in the future.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-46496700860162630272007-03-30T01:33:00.000-05:002007-03-30T01:33:00.000-05:00@anonymous ~ who do you think supports inmates rig...@anonymous ~ who do you think supports inmates right now by putting money on their books because TDCJ wont pay them even 50 cents an hour for working (mainly to replace the work that could be done by those on the outside but TDCJ wont pay them either)? There is enough technology available to limit the number of calls an inmate can make to specific numbers, and the calls should be capped at around $4 for 15 minutes just like calls to most county jails are. Do you see the issues here? When inmates are in jail they can usually make calls (my hubby even made calls to me here in the UK) but in TDCJ even though they are meant to be allowed 1 call every 90 days if they are case-free, when there are 4000 inmates in a unit, and only one phone they are allowed to use, how often do you think on average they actually get to make a call (on speakerphone I might add)? It works out to around 1 call every 18 months, from the reports I've heard. <BR/><BR/>Phone companies also put stops on an account if too many collect calls are made, so the problem of families overspending can be easily tackled. <BR/><BR/>Technology also exists to give inmates phone cards, possibly linked to their trust fund, so that families have the option of pre-paying for calls (which is the way I would suggest TDCJ go if this bill passes), and the cards are used with a pin number, and each card can only call certain approved numbers so victims families dont get harrassed that way either ~ and many victim support groups are also in favour of this bill.<BR/><BR/>Best thing is, the phone system could pay for itself within 2 years and then MAKE MONEY for TDCJ.<BR/><BR/>This is just as much about treating inmate families with a little respect and not like inmates themselves, as it is about give a little incentive to inmates to behave themselves.<BR/><BR/>Try and see the positives for once.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-90028169728937081632007-03-29T23:14:00.000-05:002007-03-29T23:14:00.000-05:00Regarding the phone bill. How much will prisoner'...Regarding the phone bill. How much will prisoner's families be charged when these phones are used? How much will the State of Texas get?<BR/><BR/>I'll bet it will be a money maker for the State, that's why it will pass. That is wrong. The charges must be reasonable.<BR/><BR/>Bottom line, the poor get poorer. Prisoner's loved ones will pay high prices for phone service to show their love and support. Then, they won't be able to pay the heating bill or the food bill.<BR/><BR/>The real victims here are the friends and family of prisoners who will end up paying for the incarceration costs.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com