Active Campaign
Hawai’i
Families and allied advocates are organizing to pass legislation that would make prison phone calls free
Families in Hawai‘i are struggling to maintain critical connections with their incarcerated loved ones simply because they cannot afford the excessive cost of phone calls.
With many incarcerated Hawai’ians housed in facilities on the continent, impacted families, separated by an ocean, are even more reliant on costly calls and messages to maintain contact than those in any other state.
The impact is devastating:
Hawai’ians spend over $1 million annually to stay connected with incarcerated loved ones.
One in three families with an incarcerated loved one goes into debt to afford communication services and visits.
87% of those carrying this burden are women — largely Black and brown women.
One in 28 children have a parent incarcerated, and many cannot afford to hear “I love you”.
Strong family connections and community ties improve facility safety, support rehabilitation, and increase successful reentry — or, in other words, they boost public safety. We should be encouraging communication and connecting families — not exploiting it.
SB 782 and HB 676 would make phone calls free in Hawai’i’s prisons for incarcerated people and their families, including those housed out of state. These bills require a modest budget appropriation. With community support, Hawai‘i can fund this practical, evidence-based step to strengthen families and promote public safety.
Interested in joining the campaign?
“I gave birth in prison to my youngest son, so I would call home at least three times a day and video everyday. With phone calls 7 cents per minute and video calls 25 cents per minute, I was spending $150 to $200 a month. That kind of money is ridiculous to have to spend on keeping in touch with your loved ones, which plays a major part in the rehabilitation process. It was a strain on my mother financially but she wanted me to be able to connect with my baby and help co-parent him.”
— Simone, an incarcerated mother in Hawai’i