June 24, 2012

Phone Justice!

From Anarchist. TransFeminist. Amazon. by Jennifer Amelia Rose (author's profile)

Transcription

June 12, 2012

Phone Justice!

This Father's Day, I was just thinking how sad it is that I never had the opportunity to talk to my dad in this life. He died in April 2010, at the age of 58, and was cremated in West Palm Beach, Florida.

I only found out just a few years ago that I had a brother in Tennessee, and a whole extended family that I never even knew existed! Luckily, I've been able to correspond with some of them by mail, yet I have never heard their voices on the phone.

In these times of economic hardships and high unemployment, not to mention corporate greed and mortgage foreclosures, it's so hard for prisoners' families to accept a collect call from prison - it can cost up to $20 for just a 15-minute call. These exorbitant phone prices make it impossible for prisoners to maintain strong family ties, an inmate's greatest incentive for rehabilitation.

The high cost of prisoner phone calls is an unnecessary obstacle to inmates' positive development of parental responsibilities, for those with children.

The government officials and phone companies that control these inmate phone call prices need to be forced to change the rules. The public should support the ability of inmates to stay connected to their families and friends in the community.

Perhaps I will someday be able to talk to my long lost brother and relatives on the phone, but for my dad and I it's too late...

James David Gann - R.I.P.

-Jennifer Gann

Notes

1. http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/palmbeachpost/obituary.aspx?n=j...

Contact info:
"Jenni" John Gann
E-23852
K.V.S.P. (C7-208U)
P.O. Box 5103
Delano, CA 93216-5103
http://www.myspace.com/johnny1006

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prisonactionnews Posted 7 years, 7 months ago. ✓ Mailed 7 years, 6 months ago   Favorite
Hi, Jennifer

I am writing to let you know about Prison Action News, a biannual journal of prisoners' stories of resistance to incarceration. Written by prisoners and edited and distributed by outside volunteers, PAN has about 1,600 incarcerated subscribers across the US. It is a great outlet to both read and publish stories about fighting exorbitant phone prices, or any other oppressive aspect of prison life. If you would like to subscribe to PAN, write to:

PAN
PO Box 832
Watertown, MA 02472

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