New York becomes latest state to offer free phone calls in prisons

New York will offer free phone calls to people incarcerated in its state prisons starting Aug. 1, becoming the sixth state to do so.

The change is projected to save roughly 30,000 families across the state an estimated $13.3 million per year in phone call fees, according to Worth Rises, a nonprofit advocacy organization dedicated to dismantling the prison industry.

New York joins California, Colorado, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Minnesota in offering free phone calls in state prisons, though Colorado’s policy won’t take full effect until 2026. New York, however, is the first state to implement the change administratively, without any legislation.

Previously, incarcerated New Yorkers were charged $0.024 per minute for domestic calls under the state’s contract with Securus Technologies and received three free 15-minute calls per week, according to the department’s news release.

The new policy eliminates all charges for calls made from facility phones or tablets. The New York Department of Corrections and Community Supervision will cover the costs through its operating budget and expects to spend $9 million this fiscal year.

Some research suggests that incarcerated people who maintain consistent contact with loved ones are significantly more likely to succeed upon release and are less likely to reoffend.

https://stateline.org/2025/08/01/new-york-becomes-latest-state-to-offer-free-phone-calls-in-prisons/