Calls and Conduct: The Impact of Free Communication on Prison Misconduct

The private prison communication industry has made it expensive for incarcerated individuals to speak with their loved ones, and until recently– 2023– costs have been unregulated by the FCC. Though the new regulations have significantly reduced the rates for audio and video calls, the rates are still expensive relative to the hourly wage for non-industry prison jobs. In 2021, Ameelio—the largest prison communication technology nonprofit in the United States—partnered with the Iowa Department of Corrections to gradually provide all prisons with free video calls and take over the management of in-person visits. This study compares facilities that have not yet integrated Ameelio’s services with facilities that have to evaluate the impact of free video calls and eased in-person visits across nine Iowa state prisons on in-person misconduct between 2021 and 2022. The researchers found that easing communication reduced in-prison violence, resulting in safer prisons.

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Key Findings:

• After the introduction of eased communication, violent misconduct, including intimidation, decreased by 55 percent. Violent acts decreased by 32 percent.
• Facility wide misconduct counts fell from about 139 per week to 90-101 per week after Ameelio introduced eased communication.
• There was no observable change in drug offenses or misuse of communications.