Steep Costs of Inmate Phone Calls Are Under Scrutiny

The New York Times ^ | MARCH 30, 2015 | TIMOTHY WILLIAMS

[edwinland]

Since the Pennsylvania police arrested Anthony Kofalt last March for walking out of a Walmart with 21 boxes of Crest White Strips he had not paid for, his wife, Heather, has spent $3,000 — about $60 a week — on phone calls to the prisons and jails where he has been held.

The cost of a 15-minute call is $12.95, although Mr. Kofalt is in a prison only a few hours’ drive from his wife’s home in Franklin, Pa. The cost for a similar non-prison call would be about 60 cents.

And every time Ms. Kofalt deposits $25 into the prison phone account, the private company that runs the system charges her $6.95.

[kiryandil]

I was talking to a guy a couple of weeks ago, and he clued me in on the newest Crimnel Jesters scam in my state:

Deferred sentencing/deferred adjudication for drug offenses.

Basically, it's probation, and the charges get dismissed if you're a good little doobie for The State during the time of your "probation".

Sounds all well and good on the face of it, BUT!

Here's the rest of the story:

Officer Friendly stops you, and finds a pill bottle or couple of pills rattling around on your person, or in the car?

In the bad old days, before deferred adjudiction, it was a trifle, and was generally ignored. Hey, it's just a single little pill!

Now, it's a BIG FAT JUICY PORTERHOUSE for the Great Big Giant Large Criminal Justice Machine.

You see, there's all sorts of COSTS associated with the "adjudication" [read: shakedown] wherein The State cleans up financially. OR they hit you with the Big Felony Stick.

So that means the mark is just BEGGING for the deferment/adjudication. Please, please, judge - sodomize me financially!

So, to sum up - that means, one pill - you'd better have a current valid prescription for it ON YOUR PERSON.

If the pill "accidentally" falls into your car whilst you're not watching? Tough rocks, peasant.

YEW BROKE DA LORE!!!

[MeganC]

If you’re on probation then don’t screw up. That’s the point of probation is to give you a chance to redeem yourself or to give you a second chance to screw up.

Choose wisely.

[kiryandil]

You appear to be a fan of the Managerial State.

May your chains sit lightly.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Managerial_state

Paul Gottfried, in After Liberalism, defines this worldview as a "series of social programs informed by a vague egalitarian spirit, and it maintains its power by pointing its finger accusingly at antiliberals." He calls it a new theocratic religion. In this view, when the managerial regime cannot get democratic support for its policies, it resorts to sanctimony and social engineering, via programs, court decisions and regulations...

[angelrod]

This site is becoming too judgemental. I do miss people with different points of view, instead of the usual torches and pitchforks.

This is about treating prisoners ( and their families) humanely, not letting them off easy for their crimes.

[MeganC]

You appear to be a fan of the Managerial State.

No, I'm someone who was raped and I remain grateful that my rapist died in prison. I really don't give a damn if his phone calls cost him $13 a minute.

[editor-surveyor]

.
Goes with the punishment for the incredibly foolish crime.

No tears here!
.

[Eric Pode of Croydon]

You should see some of the threads here on the subject of homosexual prison rape, and the number of Freepers who think its a hilarious, s-—s and giggles subject. If I was a liberal and wanted to make the case that Freepers are slope browed morons, that’s where I would link.

[editor-surveyor]

.
>> “No work, no meals.” <<

.
And its Biblical too! (2Thessalonians 3)

.

[editor-surveyor]

.
Your cry’n heart...

.

[kiryandil]

No, I'm someone who was raped and I remain grateful that my rapist died in prison. I really don't give a damn if his phone calls cost him $13 a minute.

I'm happy that your rapist died in prison - hopefully painfully, but I also frown on extra-judicial prison. He probably got what he deserved.

I will gently point out that you're projecting your life onto this article, and this discussion.

This is about The State stealing 3,000 dollars from the wife, not the prisoner.

Maybe The State should send over some muscle to beat up the kids and shoot the dog, too, eh?

My post that you responded to was about The State manufacturing "criminals" so they could strip-mine them for money.

How you projected your experience onto that, and latched onto the "probation" thingee out of the entire lengthy post is beyond me.

You may have issues with your experience still.

[peeps36]

Prisons always have the predators and their prey but they also have the professionals. The skinny black dude with the ponytail, t-shirt tied in a knot and g-string underwear. The chubby Spanish dude with the spork hair clip, cherry cool-aid blush and lipstick and fake breasts. Over the last 20 years I've seen hundreds of supposedly straight tough guys fall in love with these cross dressers.

[kiryandil]

My view of homosexual prison rape is that if the agents of The State imprison you, and disarm you so you can't protect yourself from such, then the original arrest by agents of The State is fair game for self-defense with extreme prejudice.

And they can't cry about casualties on their side, because they KNOW what they're threatening you with.

There, that'll make some Lore-N-Ordure heads around here explode.

[MeganC]

You may have issues with your experience still.

You think?

The state is not stealing from anyone. When an inmate calls you there is an automated disclosure that tells you the charges and if you call a prison inmate you get the same disclosures.

If you can't afford the phone call then send a Hallmark card or get off your dead ass and go visit once in a while.

[Fightin Whitey]

Thanks for the authoritative word.

Agree with you entirely.

Hang in there.

[kiryandil]

Yes, The State is stealing from this woman.

"There are none so blind as those who will not see..."

I notice you stll haven't responded to the gist of my post about The State manufacturing "criminals" for fun & profit.

You're intent on punishing anyone you think needs punished. And your view is twisted.

[ClayinVA]

Right, pull the other one. Phone systems get cheaper by the day and everyone is routing calls via the internet. Once it is setup, everything is gravy afterward other than setting new users up in the system and this can be automated.

[wardaddy]

I agree

[kiryandil]

This is about treating prisoners ( and their families) humanely, not letting them off easy for their crimes.

wardaddy wrote: Most folks here act like they would be ok with execution for any crime worthy of prison time

And the wife, the kids, and their little dog too.

wardaddy wrote: Really touching from a liberty site

Free Republic has lost most of its old timers

Newer posters are often here same as any other social commentary site

To be hard asses with anonymity they dare not be in public

Lonely angry folks are just too damn common here now

When The State comes for them, too - they're gonna be SO SURPRISED. I posted about a new State probation scam, and the broken toys zero in on not "breaking probation".

Really? REALLY?!?

wardaddy wrote: The halcyon days of purpose and liberty from 97-2005 are gone....and I lament that...back when we had reknown posters

You got that right...

[wardaddy]

I’ve seen straight white tough armored car robber types who let a sissy shine the brass for them in a weak moment after too much buck catch hell for it to the point they checked in and transferred out to Lompoc

Then there are the differences between state joints and minimum low medium and Max fed joints

Ironic point

Most rapes occur in open housing style jails ( Not prison)in urban areas with high black jailhouse populations

Like Dade County stockade or the old pods near Jackson Memorial

In an urban jail DO NOT LEAVE YOUR WHITE HIGH SCHOOL AGED SON IN JAIL OVER THE WEEKEND to reach him a lesson for something minor enough he can be bailed out easy

Especially if he’s suburban soft

He could be damaged for life or worse

It’s no joke

[wardaddy]

Well meaning folks here no question but ignorant

Just winging it from intrinsic good values

Doesn’t always work