WASHINGTON, July 24,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Following a July 18 vote, the Federal Communications
Commission (FCC) has adopted new rules to enforce the Martha
Wright-Reed Just and Reasonable Communications Act of 2022. These
new rules, which now prevent phone carriers from sharing their
profits with the facilities they serve, will reduce the cost of a
15-minute phone call by more than $10
at some facilities. These more reasonable rates for Incarcerated
People's Communications Services (IPCS) will allow incarcerated
people and their loved ones to stay connected, preserving families
and reducing the chances of reincarceration.
The FCC order establishing the new rules extensively references
Brattle's analysis. The phone carriers serving this market
advocated for higher rates, ones covering costs that went well
beyond providing phone and video services in prisons and jails.
Brattle's model carrier approach for setting just and reasonable
rate caps for audio and video communications services demonstrated
the reasonableness of the FCC's new rates.
A Brattle team – led by Principals Coleman Bazelon and Paroma Sanyal – served as the pro bono
economists for the leading group advocating for the FCC to lower
the costs of calls in prisons and jails, the Wright Petitioners.
Working with their pro bono counsel, Jenner & Block, Brattle
provided independent analysis estimating per-minute costs for audio
and video calls in small, medium, and large facilities, drawing on
the 2023 ICPS Mandatory Data Collection as well as market data.
"This is a landmark victory for those who have endured
exorbitant IPCS rates for an unjustifiably long time. After more
than a decade refuting the carriers' inflated cost analyses,
incarcerated people and their loved ones will finally pay rates to
talk to each other that are related to the costs of providing
service," said Dr. Bazelon.
According to the FCC's order, reducing calling rates for the
incarcerated population has several positive financial and social
impacts. Financially, lower calling rates provide crucial relief to
both inmates and their families, easing the strain of exorbitant
communication costs. Socially, promoting affordable communication
in prisons not only upholds basic human rights but also contributes
to lower recidivism rates by helping inmates maintain vital
connections to the outside world.
"We applaud the FCC for taking this important and monumental
action. This order serves as a transformative win for incarcerated
people and their loved ones who for far too long have had to
grapple with outrageous IPCS rates," said Rebekah P. Goodheart, co-chair of Jenner &
Block's Communications, Internet, and Technology
practice. "Thanks to the relentless advocacy of various groups
and civil rights organizations, much-needed relief will be
provided."
Since 2013, over 30 individuals have contributed to Brattle's
pro bono analysis on this topic, with exceptional contributions
from Senior Research Analyst Shea
Peretz and Research Analysts Preetul Sen and Natalie Selfe.
ABOUT BRATTLE
The Brattle Group answers complex
economic, finance, and regulatory questions for corporations, law
firms, and governments around the world. We are distinguished by
the clarity of our insights and the credibility of our experts,
which include leading international academics and industry
specialists. Brattle has 500 professionals across North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific. For more information, please
visit brattle.com.
View original content to download
multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/fcc-cites-brattles-analyses-in-landmark-decision-for-inmate-calling-rate-fairness-302205568.html
SOURCE The Brattle Group