Across the United States, hundreds of jails have eliminated in-person family visits over the last decade. Why has this happened? The answer highlights a profound flaw in how decisions too often get made in our legal system: for-profit jail telecom companies realized that they could earn more profit from phone and video calls if jails eliminated free in-person visits for families. So the companies offered sheriffs and county jails across the country a deal: if you eliminate family visits, we’ll give you a cut of the increased profits from the larger number of calls. This led to a wave across the country, as local jails sought to supplement their budgets with hundreds of millions of dollars in cash from some of the poorest families in our society.

  • IvanOverdrive@lemm.ee
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    7 months ago

    I read about this in Cory Doctorow’s The Bezzle. I’m surprised it didn’t get more traction in the press.

    • TheFriar@lemm.ee
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      7 months ago

      You are? Challenging the status quo isn’t really the press’ thing anymore—or, like, ever.

    • StineD@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      7 months ago

      I’m reading it right now, and I honestly thought it was something he made up as a near-future dystopian plot point. Didn’t realize that it was real…