City jail inmates and their families no longer have to shell out big bucks to talk over the phone.
The city has implemented a new law giving Rikers Island prisoners free phone calls, Mayor de Blasio's office announced.
The city and a private contractor, Securus Technologies, had charged inmates 50 cents to make a call, plus 5 cents for each minute on the phone, amounting to $8 million a year -- $5 million of which went to the city.
"For too long have people in custody faced barriers to basic aspects of everyday life that can help create more humane jails," Mayor de Blasio said in a statement Tuesday. "With free phone calls, we're eliminating one of those barriers and ensuring that people in custody have the opportunity to remain connected with their lawyers, families and support networks that are so crucial to re-entry into one's community."
Inmates used funds placed in their commissary accounts to pay for more than 25,000 calls made daily from city jails, City Hall officials said.
Inmates were already granted limited free calls before the law was fully implemented. Now, inmates can make 21 minutes worth of domestic calls every three hours, with no call going longer than 15 minutes. Inmates in punitive segregation can just make one 15-minute call a day.
"We know that when people in custody are able to remain in frequent contact with family and friends, it helps them plan for the future and reduces their risk of returning to jail," Correction Department Commissioner Cynthia Brann said.
The City Council passed the law, sponsored by Speaker Corey Johnson, in a 42-3 vote last summer. The Council's three Republican members all voted against the legislation.
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