Inmate telephone system

rdf:langString Inmate telephone system

rdf:langString An inmate telephone system, also known as an Inmate Calling Service (ICS) or Inmate telephone service, is telephone service intended for use by inmates in correctional facilities in the United States. Telephone service for inmates allows for their rehabilitation by allowing consistent communication with their family and legal counsel while incarcerated. In the United States, prison telecom is a $1.2 billion industry, mostly controlled by two private equity-backed companies—Global Tel Link (GTL) with a 50% market share as of 2015. and Securus Technologies, with 20%. The prison telecom industry has come under scrutiny due to the nature of their business model, as high commissions paid by providers as part of exclusive contracts with individual facilities are passed down to consumers through service rates significantly higher than standard phone service. While there have been attempts by the United States' telecom regulator, the FCC, to regulate the costs of inmate telephone services, the Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled that its policy violated the Telecommunications Act, which forbids the FCC from regulating intrastate communications.