A federal court order temporarily blocked a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) ruling that placed a cap on the cost of calls that inmates make from prison, The Hill reported.
In a suit filed against the FCC by Global Tel*Link, The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit granted motions regarding the FCC’s Proposed Rule-making “setting caps on calling rates” and “setting caps on fees for single-call services.”
“Everybody sues us about everything,” FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler told reporters.
Inmate calling companies are suing to overturn the regulations.
“The rules, which were slated to take effect (in March), are meant to lower the prices that inmates and their families pay to talk on the phone,” The Hill reported.
Wheeler and Democratic Commissioner Mignon Clyburn said in a written statement, “While we regret that relief from high inmate calling rates will be delayed for struggling families and their 2.7 million children trying to stay in touch with a loved one, we are gratified that costly and burdensome ancillary charges will come to an end.”
According to The Hill, prison phone companies indicated early on that they would challenge the FCC’s rulings.
