![](https://csgjusticecenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/default-post-hero.jpg)
On February 19, 2014, the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) lowered the rate that individuals incarcerated in BOP facilities pay for their direct long distance calls. This change is in accordance with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) ruling in August 2013, which set guidelines to reduce the cost of interstate phone calls made by individuals incarcerated in prisons.
Phone contact allows individuals to maintain their relationships with their children, family, and friends. Studies show that these relationships are important to an individual’s reentry success, and also have positive implications for the communities to which they return and the children of incarcerated parents. Lower phone rates may help these children stay in contact with their parents and reduce the risk of these challenges. To view the new rate, click here. To learn more about the FCC ruling, click here.
![hands holding heart for giving tuesday](https://csgjusticecenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Navy-Blue-Minimalist-Giving-Tuesday-Charity-Movement-Instagram-Post-500x500-c-default.png)
![Image for: Empathetic Policing: Mason City Police Department Launches Virtual Reality Training Program to Help Officers Better Understand Behavioral Health Crises](https://csgjusticecenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/2023-10-14-MCPD-VR-Training-249-e1709653727160-500x500-c-default.jpg)