Friends:

RE: Federal Bureau of Prisons (FBOP) returning to pre-pandemic phone and video service operations and FSA incentives.

Jake Lang J6 was able to video call into the livestream J6 Pardon Press Conference today. Kindly be advised of the FBOP policy below and get the word out on your livestreams:

Effective January 1, 2025, the Federal Bureau of Prisons (FBOP) is returning to its pre-pandemic phone and video service operations in addition to implementing a phone incentive in accordance with the Program Statement on First Step Act (FSA) Program Incentives (P5220.01). In order to facilitate this change, the phone system will be unavailable on January 2, 20225 from 5 a.m. until approximately 12 p.m. E.T.

The Bureau will provide adults in custody who are participating in Evidence-Based Recidivism Reduction (EBRR) programs under the FSA access to free phone minutes each month. Those AICs who chose not to participate in programming, will be responsible for the cost for phone and video minutes. As an incentive for programming, all individuals participating in First Step Act (FSA) Evidence-Based Recidivism Reduction (EBRR) programs, regardless of their FSA earned time credit eligibility, will receive 300 free phone minutes each month.at no charge for one month’s validation cycle with a limit of 30 minutes per day when their account revalidates for the month. However, if an inmate places a collect or prepaid collect call, the minutes will be deducted from their monthly limit and the called party will be charged.

The Bureau is exploring an expansion of phone call minutes for FSA incentive earners, potentially increasing the total up to 510 minutes per month. This expansion would include the 300 free minutes and 210 additional minutes at the inmate's expense, subject to addressing budget considerations and technological/ resource challenges.

Non-FSA Incentive Earners: Individuals who do not earn an FSA phone incentive will be financially responsible for their phone use. When placing direct dial calls, users will be notified audibly of the applicable per minute rate (e.g., $0.06 per minute for domestic calls and international rates in accordance with Federal Communication Commission regulations). Domestic called parties who are unable to receive collect calls or who want to establish a prepaid account may contact ICSolutions (ICS) at 1-888-506-8407.

Recently, due to budget constraints, and to incentivize programming participation, the FBOP decided to change its approach and will provide free phone calls only to those who are on the waitlist for, or are participating in, an EBRR. As mentioned, this is intended to incentivize programming and to allow FBOP to reallocate resources to other critical needs, including programming, staffing, and contraband interdiction.

In order to mitigate the financial impact on AICs that choose not to participate in programming and their families and loved ones, the discontinuation of free phone minutes is being timed in conjunction with recent per minute fee reductions mandated by the Federal Communication Commission (FCC). Effective January 1, 2025, new phone rates set by the FCC go into effect that reduce the call rates for AICs to $0.06 per minute for all audio communications and $0.16 per minute for video communications.

These changes underscore the FBOP’s commitment to supporting the rehabilitation and reentry of AICs while ensuring responsible use of agency resources. External stakeholders advocating for AICs are encouraged to share this information with their communities to help prepare individuals in custody for these transitions.

Thank you for your continued partnership and understanding as we implement these important changes.

Rob Sperling
Chief, Office of Public Affairs
Office of Congressional & Public Affairs

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