By C1 Staff
ANCHORAGE — The Alaskan Department of Corrections is changing its inmate phone policy to include charges for local calls, where previously they had only charged for out-of-state calls.
KTUU reports that inmates will pay $1 for 15-minute calls made locally; out-of-state calls will remain $3.15 for 15 minutes.
The change in policy comes as the DOC transitions to a new phone system through SECURS Technology. The old system was considered “end of life;” no other DOC in the country used the old phone system.
Family members and inmates can both pay for calls through the SECURS website. If an inmate can’t afford to pay for calls, the DOC says the contract allows each inmate to receive 5 to 6 calls a month free of charge.
About 30,000 calls are made from Alaskan prisons every day. It’s unclear if the DOC will receive a portion of the funds collected from inmate phone calls.