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The Campaign for Prison Phone Justice Visits Representative Yvette Clark of New York

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On August 21st a delegation of organizations from the New York area met with Representative Yvette Clarke (Brooklyn) to discuss the high cost of receiving a phone call from a prison, jail or detention center.  The visit was held as part of a larger effort called the Campaign for Prison Phone Justice, a national campaign seeking to lower the cost of prison phone calls.  Member organizations included: Center for Media Justice, Peoples Production House, Families Rally for Emancipation and Empowerment (FREE) and Pastor Will Seaton.

The delegation petitioned Representative Clarke to send a letter to FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski in support of the Wright Petition (docket no. 96-128), a measure that would make the cost of long distance phone calls from prisons more affordable.

Kym Clarke of FREE shared her story of organizing a successful campaign in New York that made the cost of local calls more affordable for prisoner’s families.  New York is currently one of eight states that has passed regulation at the state level to make these phone calls more affordable, but it doesn’t apply to long distance phone calls.

Pastor Will Seaton shared his experience doing ministry at juvenile detention facilities in Essex County, NJ.  He’s witnessed firsthand how youth are further isolated from their families and community by the prohibitive cost of the phone calls.

Check out pictures of the in-district visits and stay connected to the Campaign for Prison Phone Justice by joining our campaign at www.phonejustice.org

About the Author

Steven Renderos is the Senior Campaign Manager at the Center for Media Justice. He is passionate about the role of media and communications in building movements for social change. He's been a community organizer for the past 10 years leading campaigns for affordable housing, immigrant rights and most recently media policy fights. He helped lead CMJ's advocacy and organizing efforts including the Campaign for Prison Phone Justice, a national campaign fighting to lower the high costs of prison phone calls. Previously, Steven led the Media Justice program at Main Street Project in Minneapolis, MN where he helped jumpstart a local collaborative that will be applied for a radio license in the fall 2013. Steven aka DJ Ren is also the co-founder of Radio Pocho, a collaborative of Latin@ radio DJs in Minneapolis who's mission is to explore the musical roots of Latin@s raised in the United States. Steven currently resides in his hometown of Los Angeles, CA.

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