MIAMI-DADE COUNTY COMMISSION APPROVES LEGISLATION ALLOWING DETAINEES IN MIAMI-DADE COUNTY JAILS TO MAKE FREE PHONE CALLS
Miami-Dade County Commission, Miami, FL, approved legislation about detainees in Miami-Dade County Jails on Thursday, March 10, 2022.
The commission permitted free communication for detainees in the jails to make free phone calls to their loved ones.
The free communication implementation plan grants 90 minutes daily free phone calls, 120 minutes weekly free video calls, and limited free electronic messages to the loved ones. The commission also prospects for resuming the in-person visitation facility in the upcoming months after the restriction of about two years.
The ordinance of free jail communication was introduced by Commissioner Kionne McGhee. It is passed after a year of organizing, advocacy, and negotiations to eliminate communication costs for people behind bars and their families.
After the approval, Miami joins the growing list of cities, states, and countries, including Connecticut, Milwaukee, San Deigo, San Fransico, and New York, allowing free communication in jails.
On occasion, Bianca Tylek, Executive Director of Worth Rises- the man behind the struggle for approval in Miami and across the country stated, “Today, Miami joined the national movement to make jail communication free, cementing a fast-moving trend that no one can deny.”
Katherine Passley, the Deputy Director of Beyond the Bars said, “We are extremely excited to see the slate of reforms we have been pushing come to fruition. These reforms are a welcome change, and long overdue, for the estimated half of Miami-Dade residents who have been impacted by incarceration.”
Akeel Williams, a member of Beyond the Bars, who supported the cause on behalf of the prisoner’s families said, “The Commissioners’ decision today reflects the power of the people when we come together. We are excited that Miami joined the national movement and passed this bill!”
Additionally, the approval will help the struggling families by connecting children to their parents and loved ones imprisoned in Miami jails. Many people whose family members are incarcerated have appeared in Commission meeting. People who witnessed their loved ones behind bars described paying hundreds of dollars every month to contact these individuals, or worse, not being able to afford their calls for months at a time, fracturing bonds critical to their emotional well-being and successful reentry. As a result of this decision, Miami families can expect all that to change soon.
