Republican state AGs sue FCC over inmate phone call rules

(Reuters) – A group of 14 Republican state attorneys general led by Arkansas and Indiana said Wednesday they filed suit challenging the Federal Communications Commission decision in June to slash inmate phone bills for inmates in U.S. prisons and jails.

The states argue the FCC rule improperly caps how much money jails and prisons can charge inmates for phone calls saying it deprives the facilities of funding and resources that they depend on to reduce risks and solve crimes. FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel in June said the rule addresses “the unconscionable rates families of the incarcerated pay for communications.”