Governor Gavin Newsom has signed SB 1008, a bill that will make phone calls in prisons and juvenile halls free in California. This bill will provide relief for over 90,000 incarcerated people and their families and save California families $33 million annually. SB 1008 was authored by Senator Josh Becker (D-Menlo Park) and propelled by the Keep Families Connected Coalition. The Financial Justice Project serves on the steering committee of the coalition and is a proud co-sponsor of the Keep Families Connected Act.
California becomes the second state in the country to make prison phone calls free and joins a growing list of cities and counties who have already made jail phone calls free, including San Francisco, San Diego, New York City, and Miami.
The Financial Justice Project recently highlighted the importance of this bill in an op-ed in the Los Angeles Times: Why Phone Calls From Prison Should Be Free. By making phone calls from juvenile halls and state prisons free, SB 1008 will strengthen the wealth and safety of low-income Black and Brown communities. Maintaining family and community connection and economic stability while incarcerated is key to successful reentry.
San Francisco was the first California county to make jail phone calls free in 2020. Since then, incarcerated people now spend 81 percent more time in communication with their families and save $1.1 million annually. In his testimony in support of SB 1008, San Francisco Sheriff Paul Miyamoto remarked that since phone calls became free two years ago, the change has been positive for everyone, including Sheriff Office staff, incarcerated people, and their families.
We are grateful to Governor Gavin Newsom for signing SB 1008 into law, Senator Josh Becker for championing this bill, the Keep Families Connected Coalition and the SF Jail Justice Coalition for their persistent advocacy, and the countless families and community members who called and wrote letters to support this effort.
Yours in Financial Justice,
Anne and Michelle
