Active Campaign
Rhode Island
Families and allied advocates are organizing to pass legislation that would make prison communication free
Families in Rhode Island are struggling to maintain critical connections with their incarcerated loved ones simply because they cannot afford the excessive cost of phone calls.
The impact is devastating:
Rhode Islanders spend nearly $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 Rhode Island prisons for incarcerated people and their families. These bills require a modest budget appropriation. With community support, Rhode Island can fund this practical, evidence-based step to strengthen families and promote public safety.
Interested in joining the campaign?
“I work as an organizer, real estate agent, and home health care aid, and I barely have enough money to cover regular calls with my son after I pay for rent, utilities, and other living expenses. My son knows how hard I work. He tells me he doesn’t want to burden me, and I cannot bear the idea of him thinking he’s dragging me down. I only want to be his support system. Not just because it’s my instinct as his mother, but also because I see how my love motivates him to engage in his own rehabilitation, which will help him succeed when he comes home.”
— Melonie, a Rhode Island mother with an incarcerated son