Does anyone know anything about the Arkansas Cure Program that was rallying for Arkansas Inmates and families on behalf of the high call rates? I saw where they had a rally last year in Little Rock but have not heard anything lately.I saw on here where Federal units in Arkansas,people can purchase minutes somehow for their loved one to call home on,wish State units had the same treatment.I know we all hate MCI and $6.60 phonecalls but personally we need to comminucate often to keep our sanity.But gas prices and these high calls are starting to take a bad affect on my pocketbook.Being in prison is punishment enough we should not have to suffer to keep our families together. I don't see how families with children can support themselves thru times like these.I am on my own and it is hard,so to all you moms doing this with your kids....you are terrific ladies:)And your men should appreciate you for all you do! And if they fail to say Thanks ....then let me tell you...THANK YOU.
A Blessed Day to you all.And if you know anything about Cure and if they are still trying to help us,let me know:) Kitty

CURE continues trying very hard to get the phone rates lowered. The contract with MCI is up for renewal by the Board of Corrections December 2006 and we have been lobbying in the State and in Washington to get legislation passed concerning the high rates. Could sure use any help you want to give, there are almost 14,000 inmates in prison in AR., almost this same number in Community Corrections not to even count the jail population and those on parole and probation, but it is so difficult to even get the family to help write letters or make calls. http://etccampaign.com
If you want specifics, just let me know.
pods

Thanks Pods for the info.Hopefully someday calls will be cheaper for us all.I am just Thankful to have them, even tho it costs an arm and a leg sometimes:) What other options does the ADC have, if they don't renew with MCI ? I have began the process of the letters, hopefully other will to and show our support.:)kitty

There are a number of options that the ADC has when it awards it's contract in Dec. 2006, part of the cost being so high is the commission the ADC gets off of our calls (it is around 51%) and about 2.5 million dollars. If the rate of commissssion were decreased so would the phone charges. Also, it would help to open for competitive bidding for other companies, but the contract is written in such a way that it is practically "exclusive" to MCI carrier reg's.
Now, the commission is stated by the ADC as being spent on inmate programs. In a review last year the ADC said the money was spent on $100.00 for each inmate that leaves the ADC (which would account for some of the commission, but GOSH! if 10,000 inmates were released each year... which does not happen would not cost 2.5million. The other $ from our calls was spent on re-doing a kitchen, security fences, riot gear for the officers, new doors etc.
Oh yes, we are all very thankful to have the calls but we all pay taxes for these things in the prison so hopefully we can get a change for the better and get these rates down. All of us just wnat our loved ones and friends to do well while they are in prison and when they are released and contact is a very importnat part of success for us all.

I agree with the importants of contact with their families...I think if the inmates were not so uptight about things like their families not having the money to come visit or them to call home it would help in their spirits and they would not have as much problems in there..... I can not get the words out the way I am thinking them.....kind like a Good time incentive....you work harder to do right if you get something in return.And so many marriages are failing in prisons because the family can not afford to communicate.Please let me know what we can do to help this.Kitty

New Doors.... we need doors period in the bathrooms at Tucker:) And soap that does not have dead bug stuck to. Sorry..just had to add that:)Kitty

The phone calls from arkansas to texas are to the tune of 19.00 each. That allows us to talk once a week. Those are the most precious minutes in the week. I would be happy to write letters to the necessary people to see if there are any alternatives to the high cost of MCI. Michael has a lot of time to serve and a move to arkansas would be detertimental to my retirement plan. I have few choices in my options. I travel 6 hours one way for a visit, so with gas nearing the 3.00 mark, my visits are now very limited. ADC says that they encourage interaction with the inmate and the family. I am having a hard time seeing encouragment through their actions. Thanks for allowing me to vent. I try to remain positive with Michael so I suppose I vent my frustration here. Thanks for listening.

That is definatly is Robbery......I don't understand how they can charge that for phonecalls.I thought ours were bad at $6.60 but that is awful.And there is really no reason to do it, I realize the ADC wants there cut in it....they profit from us.But I don't see they are giving back to the inmates near the amount they are collecting from us.
txspitfire you vent here any time you want or need to :) Kitty

Spread word on the website http://etccampaign.com, when the legislature get letters they do not like it, then turn to the ADC for answers. All we can do is do our best and it is so nice to see such a positive response to write etc.
Oh! the doors were not for bathrooms, they were steel doors so I am assuming they were some type of facility door plus they were very expensive doors.

That was a joke...hee hee about the bathroom doors. ;) Kitty

I started mailing off my letters from the campaign website and I got a response! Randy Laverty said mailed me back a letter saying the he appreciated my concern and would contact the proper authorities. He said that he would get back to me when he received a response. Since the contract is up for renewal very soon, I sent off more letters earlier than the campaign stated, which is supposed to take place over several months. We don't have several months. I am doing my part and I hope it helps. Lets keep spreading the word!

Wa to go Girl.....we all need to do what we can for this.Mr. Laverty is a very nice person,I have talked to him in the past about a bill he had go to became an act......anyway maybe he will help inmate's families get better phone priveledges:) Kitty

Hey ya'll! I got a postcard today from Mike Beebe's office who is the attorney general, and even though it just said that my complaint has been recieved and assigned for processing, it gave me a file number and a phone number to call to check on my complaint and it's progress. I thought that was encouraging. I also got a letter from the Arkansas Public Service Commission Utilities Division. They basically said that they have no control over the rates but that they will keep my letter on file for review and consideration when the issue comes before the commission in the future. They also forwarded my letter to MCI to let them know about my concerns. I didn't feel that they did anything special to help us, but at least somebody out there is now aware of the problem, and eventually the issue will come before the commission again. Has anyone else gotten any response from their letters?