Lower the cost of calls from Prison!
With 2.2 million incarcerated in the USA, many of you already know how much it costs to accept a collect call from prison.
Prisons are filled disproportionately with people who live under the poverty line. Fathers of children, sons of mothers, sisters of brothers and husbands of wives. While we understand the necessity to have to punish the guilty, we disagree with the practice of charging so much for those guilty people to make a phone call home because that punishes the innocent family and loved ones of the incarcerated.
We are asking that President Obama help us get a per-call cap on phone calls from prison. A rate that even the poorest mother of an 18 year old caught with a bag of marijuana can afford.
Please, if you care about this issue, send this to as many people as you know. http://www.thepetitionsite.com/3/lower-the-cost-of-calls-from-prison
We the undersigned are asking that you put a per-call price cap on collect calls from correctional institutions. The reason behind this is that statistics show a lot of the incarcerated belong to families that live below the poverty line or close to it. These people cannot afford the rates that are being charged each time their incarcerated family member or loved one calls. While we recognize the importance of punishing crime, we do not see any reason why the innocent family members and loved ones of the incarcerated should be punished for wanting to stay in contact with those who may be incarcerated, but who are still important to them. These people include poor mothers who's sons are locked up for non-violent possession charges, wives who have become single mothers wanting their children to grow up knowing their fathers' voice. We are talking about law-abiding Americans, we are talking about innocent human beings. There is no good reason why any of these people should be paying upwards of $20 per call to speak to someone important to them.
We the undersigned recognize your commitment to human rights, to civil rights. In one week as president, you have already made it abundantly clear that you will not put up with human rights abuses on your watch. Here is a way to make sure the families and loved ones of 2.2 million incarcerated Americans have their rights taken into consideration, too.
Congratulations on winning the presidency, and thank you so much for your time. We are certain you will do the right thing.
