What is this bill about?
SB 498 remove barriers to connections between incarcerated individuals and their families by eliminating arbitrary 15-minute time limits on voice calls made via personal tablets and providing free electronic messaging services.
How does it align with yli’s values?
Because telephone access for incarcerated persons in California’s prisons has historically been limited to wall phones with finite supply, CDCR policy limits the duration of phone calls to 15 minutes. Perplexingly, the 15 minute time limit is also being enforced on wireless tablets, despite the fact that they remain in possession of the incarcerated person at all times and are not shared. As a result, conversations are abruptly halted and the callers must hang up and immediately re-dial to continue the conversation. These arbitrary interruptions exist at the detriment of fostering beneficial relationships, especially between incarcerated persons and their children, based on an outdated policy. Further, even though electronic messaging is commonly offered for free to the general public, incarcerated persons and their families are being charged for these messages.
Maintaining contact with family is extremely important for reducing recidivism and ensuring public safety. Research consistently shows that incarcerated individuals who maintain strong ties with their support networks have higher success rates and lower rates of re-offending upon release. In addition, free electronic messaging may relieve disproportionately impacted low-income and Black and Brown communities from onerous expenses related to communicating with incarcerated loved ones. SB 498 would modernize communication standards and remove barriers to maintaining connections between incarcerated individuals and their families by eliminating arbitrary 15-minute time limits on voice calls made via personal tablets and providing free electronic messaging services.
yli partners with thousands of youth across the state, the majority of whom are low-income youth of color. We witness first hand the impacts of our state’s harmful “justice” system on their lives, and are staunch advocates of measures that will reduce the criminalization and incarceration of our loved ones – and ensure their dignified treatment while incarcerated.
This policy aligns with our Racial Justice Platform, which addresses the impacts of the carceral system on communities of color.
What is yli doing about it?
We have just submitted a letter endorsing this bill, and we are showing our support on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Who supports this bill?
Sponsors:
- San Quentin Skunkworks
- Bridges of Hope
- Empowering Women Impacted by Incarceration
- The Change Parallel Project
- Restoring Hope CA
- Jesse’s Place Organization
- Legal Services for Prisoners with Children / All of Us or None
- Western Center on Law and Poverty
- Communities United for Restorative Youth Justice