New legislation will limit the costs for incarcerated people to make phone calls from Maine's jails and prisons.
The law, signed last week, will cap the cost of phone calls to match a set federal rate, which is 21 cents per minute at Maine's county jails and 12 cents per minute at state facilities.
Courtney Allen, the organizing director with the Maine Recovery Advocacy Project, said that should make it much easier for incarcerated people to maintain vital connections with their families and friends.
"It's more important than anything that you can do for people who are inside. So that when they get outside, they still have those relationships and have the ability to reintegrate to their family," Allen said.
The Maine Department of Corrections said it already caps rates at nine cents per minute. The legislation will also provide 30 free minutes per week for residents of state facilities with less than 10 dollars in their account to call their attorneys, plus an additional 30 free minutes to talk to family and friends.
Commissioner Randall Liberty said that while that may mean a minor cost increase for the agency, he feels it's important to ensure residents have regular contact with their families.
"That's critically important to a successful journey through incarceration with us. So we think any increase in cost is important to fund," he said.
Liberty said money from phone calls is used to pay for inmate programming, such as weight equipment and TV services.
