Incarcerated People's Communication Services; Implementation of the Martha Wright-Reed Act; Rates for Interstate Inmate Calling Services

Résumé

In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) seeks additional comment and data from stakeholders on adopting permanent audio and video IPCS rate caps and on whether and how the Commission should refine its IPCS data collections going forward to provide the data needed to ensure rate caps are just and reasonable and fairly compensate IPCS providers. It also seeks comment on how and when the Commission should structure a permanent rate additive to account for the recovery of correctional facility costs incurred in making IPCS available, including an additive that potentially varies by facility type and size. Finally, it proposes to retain the prohibition on ancillary service charges previously adopted by the Commission and seeks further comment on this proposal. In the alternative, it seeks comment on a request to reinstate automated payment fees and third-party financial transaction fees as permissible ancillary service charges.