Cap Times: New move set to ban phone profits at jail

Update: There will be a press conference about the ordinance in front of the Public Safety Building, 115 W. Doty, Thursday afternoon at 1pm (via email from Ashok - thanks for the news).

Hear hear for Ashok Kumar, the Dane County Board Supervisor who's introducing an ordinance that would prohibit the county from entering into contracts that generate revenue from incarcerated people:

Kumar says that charging people for phone calls and amenities when often they're in jail because they can't afford bail is a regressive policy that needs to be changed.

"People are taking it out of their monthly paycheck and it's a huge chunk," he says. "This is actually dipping into funds for food, children, housing and other basic needs. We're not fining inmates, we're fining families."

Hear hear for Madison-area Urban Ministry as well. They've advocated this change for some time. Dane County's budget greatly benefits from the way things are, as reported by Channel3000 in 2004.

Despite what the frothing "community comments" on the Cap Times article say, this is not a move to make taxpayers buy amenities for people in jail. As I read it, it merely seeks to ban Dane County from profiting off inmates. Who, as a refresher, may or may not be convicted criminals.

Making it easier for inmates to make calls would have the added effect of reducing recidivism and inmate indigency. As the article notes, people lose their jobs and their family ties suffer when they can't make a simple phone call. No job, no family = more likely to end up right back in jail.

I really hope this ordinance passes.

Bonus: a sample of what you can buy in jail.