I can see the point behind Jpay, but at the same time, is it really necessary? I mean Americans already pay for the inmates to be held in prison/jail, should the suffering families of inmates and other families really have to pay pay more to talk to their loved ones? Now on the other hand I feel that it is fair that the inmates should pay to speak to the people on the outside world, but I disagree that people from the outside world who are paying for the inmates to be held in prison/jail should have to pay extra to speak to the inmates. Now on the hand is it right to have a monopoly within the prisons in which families communicate with each other? In the sense of providing new technology in the way that messages are sent and received I can agree with, but I do not agree with the fluctuating costs of the stamps. I feel like it should be the same cost as a normal stamp. There also should not be a monopoly in doing this. There should be other ways so prices could drop with phone calls coming into the facilities. Other organizations will create competition within the different companies, this will help lower prices of phone calls and stamps. With each stamp only covering one page of writing, with a family that has not seen their loved ones in awhile will have a lot to say to he/she that is in prison. For a low income family a few pages could be hard to come by, if some families give up their electricity bill to send a message to an inmate, just think of what the really poor families are giving up to be able to talk to their loved ones. crispychicken711
I agree with families and paying to speak to loved ones in prison should not really be a thing, but don't you think that if the prisoners we awarded the same low cost as them or not as much of a high cost as it already is would prevent them from illegally sneaking phones into prison as well. It's almost like many are so desperate to keep in touch with the outside world that they risk getting in trouble just to be able to talk to family and friends. Redbird711
I have a father figure that is in prison right now, he wont be out of prison until I'm ,at the earliest, 24 years old. I'll be nineteen next month. communicating with him is already expensive enough on phone calls which he only calls maybe twice out of the month where i can actually pickup the phone. prisoners are restricted a ton in who they can call and when they can call someone and i find it very hard to get a call during a time that is even remotely possible for my schedule being that I am not only a college student but i work a full time job as well. the way I look at jpay is as a scam, jpay (in my opinion) just adds restrictions to communication between prisoners and the outside world, many people are in prison because they committed a crime that could've possible helped provide for their family. with that in mind how is someone that got locked up trying to provide for his or her family suppose to talk to a family member when they are charged just to send a written message, and its not no twenty seven cent postage stamp its multiple dollars a card or a letter. Prisoners incarcerated are sometimes not even capable of making the amount to send a card in a day. At thirty five cents an hour prisoners are lucky if they make a dollar in a day, because they are not working eight hour work days, but there are also disabled prisoners who have a health condition that prevents them from working which restricts them from making any change at all its completely up to the people on the outside and in my opinion why should they have to pay for crime they're son, daughter, brother, sister, mom, dad, cousin committed? - RickyBobby711
I can sympathize with you in the sense that I too have had a loved one incarcerated previously in my life as well. It is extremely frustrating the amount of hurdles and fees you have to pay to stay in touch with said loved one, let alone trying to find time that works for both of you to communicate. I believe companies like JPay should not be allowed to run their bogus monopoly on the industry they’re in, let alone set fluctuating prices based on how much they feel like they should be making each month. Something needs to be done about this in the very near future, or I fear it will only get worse and spread to even more places of incarceration. GMan219
Rickybobby711, this article I am sure hit home as you have experienced this issue first hand. Without a doubt you know the frustrations and the blessings this company JPay has given. I totally agree it’s a major rip off in the cost per message or phone call. They are making a profit where there shouldn’t be profit. They don’t have a right to charge that much. It’s hard to pay for such an expensive luxury when making less than a $1.50 in a day. It’s just not a fair system. -CoalRoller711
I disagree with you. It is very unfortunate circumstances though with your situation, but these individuals have put themselves here. They made a mistake. Prison is not supposed to benifit a criminal. I feel Jpay is necessary, and a terrific idea. It can bring in revenue to the states as well.
I agree with you, i feel like jpay is just another way to make money. Im sure it is really hard trying to talk to someone when the time is right for the both of you and i think having jpay just adds more complications to that. I don’t think its right because someone you love committed a crime you have to pay an excessive amount of money on both there end and yours to communicate with them. I feel like being in prison is probably already hard ( not that you should be able to commit a crime and not be punished for it ) but its like now its being made even harder to keep in contact with the outside world and I’m sure that makes a person feel very lonely.
Unfortunately, I do not see a point in Jpay. Of course it's a huge money making business but the way this company goes about it seems a little selfish. Stamps and sending are already enough for not just the prisoners but for the families and friends as well. It's almost like talking to the outside world is a privilege. Being a huge mental health advocate, this could possibly tie into worsening depression and outrageous acts within the incarcerated individuals. The only way an individual is able to communicate is if they have earned and or have made enough money to contact anyone. Image the people who don't have that opportunity. When it come to special foods and drinks in prison, yes I feel like that should be earned, but keeping a relationship outside of prison is not something I think should be a privilege. While “behavior” being the number one importance to getting treated like a human, I feel that there should be other methods and opportunities for prisoners to get the privilege to sending mail or making phone calls. What I think will happen in the future is that another company similar to Jpay will provide the same services but only for a more cheap, REASONABLE price. If that were to happen, it would give prisoners and their families greater opportunities to pay and send mail and communicate which will ease a lot of stress with money away. This would cause a better chance for people to stay in touch a lot more often than they originally have in the past. With that being said, as of right now it would be nice to have services like Jpay consider other people and think about their money situation than charges outrageous amounts to keep in contact with loved ones. Redbird711
I totally agree with you. JPay is pointless and its just a way for a business to become a money making enterprise. It does not help nor care for any prisoners at all. I didn't think about the mental health aspect either that is a great point. Just because it cost money some prisoners family may not even send them mail now which will in turn depress the inmate. -I-Like-Cereal
I highly agree! Instead of JPay putting money where money is needed it’s putting money where money already is just building it up. Charging INMATES to talk to their love ones is very selfish due to the fact they already gotten taken from their love one rather it was their fault or not. KenzieLand711
I strongly agree with you. Companies like Jpay seem to really just be out there to help themselves and make money not really to help prisoners reach the outside world. I also agree in the sense that side world for prisoners is and should be a privilege not a right when a person is in prison but i do feel like the prices for doing so should be substantially lower and hope in the near future these prices can change - RickyBobby711
I agree with you 100%. Jpay to me seems like a company that is just out to reap the harvest and not have any consideration for the feelings of the loved ones just trying to keep in contact with their loved ones in prison. Especially since most of the families live in lower income areas statistically. IceT711
I had no idea that things like JPay were even a thing- I thought prisoners and incarcerated individuals still used the regular mailing system of writing using pen and paper to contact their loved ones and communicate with the outside world. Hearing how restricted the system has become as far as what can come into the prison/leave the prison, I can understand most of it. I can see that if drugs like fentanyl are capable of being absorbed into colorful pieces of paper, then it probably should be banned. However, restricting inmates to use nothing but some sort of electronic communication that charges for every message sent is ludicrous. The company JPay. in my opinion, is an absolute joke and is taking advantage of a huge portion of the United States incapable of working around their system or fighting back for the most part. The fact that JPay is able to fluctuate their prices however they please is also sickening to me. This is absolutely ridiculous that some random inmate communication company is able to control the prices of how much each “stamp” costs to send a page of writing/pictures for the inmates subjected to the use of their system. If JPay is to remain a thing, which I strongly wish it wouldn’t but it most likely will, then the prices should absolutely be fixed- and not by the company itself. The government should step in and help out with this ludicrous problem and at the very least, set the price of sending messages to something acceptable and feasible for the inmates. Another factor that I find upsetting is that the sole company in this “electronic messaging system” is JPay- creating a monopoly of sorts. Other companies need to be introduced to create competition, competitive prices, and actually decent systems that don’t feature old/cheap programs to maximize profits for said companies. GMan219
Hey Gman I enjoyed reading your post. I had no idea these alternate electronics communication companies existed. In watching documentaries on prison life i to had no idea that they smuggles contraband through letters, glues, and stamps. This is how I feel I think that it is unfortunate that people take advantage of prisoner and their families as you stated but if people would choose to live within the law they wouldn’t be subjected to the outrages of these secondary communication companies. -mmmchicken711
I don't necessarily agree with with the program JPay. I think it is right to let families send letters and pictures for their loved who is in prison. Even though JPay is a quick and efficient way of communication with the prisoners and there family, Prisoners cannot receive sentimental things from home through the electronic way without it costing them in stamps. If a family sends a letter a prison can get pictures and things that make them feel like they are at home. I think it is straight up wrong to charge a prisoner to receive a message or print of a photo that was sent electronically. It also cost additional stamps to print of short video clips and multiple pictures. Prisoners also have the option to skip the kiosk lines and buy a tablet that they use for one hundred dollars. One hundred dollars is a significant amount of money. Prison officials are saying that this is a way to implement prisoners back into society when they get released but in my opinion its just a way for the company, and prisons to make more money. JPay is constantly changing the prices of stamps that are required to see your mail and print things off, and it doesn't look like they are lowering the prices either more like raising them significantly. I just do not think it is right to charge prisoners that much money just to receive a letter and print things off. I think its all about the money and has nothing to do with actually keeping family members close. The company also never told anybody why they keep fluctuating and raising the prices. I think JPay is constantly raising their prices to see how expensive they can make them before capping the price out.I think Prisons should just stick to the mail writing system and not charge prisoners to print pictures off. -I-Like-Cereal
I too believe that, yes JPay is a good way for prisoners to communicate with each other, but they are changing prices making harder for lower income families to be able to communicate with one another. I think prisons should stick with just pen and paper writing instead of having to deal with the change stamp prices with JPay. –Adventurefligh711
I understand that JPay is trying to make it a more 21st century way for prisoners and their families to communicate with one another, but do they have to make it so expensive for them? I mean many of these prisoners come from low income families, who might not be able to pay each month for a whole lot of time to either talk or e-message them. Although it costs nothing to sign up for email, with some companies, the real costs comes from the families and prisoners wallets. According to the article while working in prison, a prisoner can earn anywhere from 20 to 95 cents a day behind bars. Making it a lot harder to communication between family members. I do believe that there should be a fee though; I just don’t believe that it should be so expensive. Isn’t bad enough that a family member might be in prison for an indefinite amount of time. It does seem like that JPay is being unfair to both the families and the prisoners. Also, in the article it says that it is a great way to make easy money, which I agree with that statement. It is a way to earn fast money, but that is because of how expensive companies like JPay make it to communicate with the outside world. Also, it’s an easy sell. I mean who wouldn’t want to keep in touch with loved ones while behind bars and would pay anything to make that happen. Some people might ask why not just do the old fashioned writing pen and paper. Well, apparently there is an increase in narcotics and synthetic narcotics, an example being fentanyl, can be soaked in colorful paper. So, for preventing drugs coming through the mail, prisons now only allow handwritten letters on white lined paper. Hopefully, sometime in the future, it will be less expensive for families communicate while in prison. –Adventueflight711
I agree with you that it seems to be really expensive for an inmate to communicate with their families. They do not make enough with their jobs to send out letters on a regular basis. I also agree with you that there should be a fee. A fee that is reasonable for the inmates to pay. ClarkKent711
This article on: “How Companies Make Millions Charging Prisoners to Send an Email,” was very eye opening to say the least. I was greatly unaware of such a pressing issue among prisons across the country. This article explained the hardship families encounter while trying to communicate with a family member in prison. The prisons have strict regulations on paper mail, let alone if it is even allowed; hence making e-messages more appealing. JPay is a company that several states use for their prisoners. It sounds like a win for all parties involved. However, that is far from the reality. The truth of the matter is that JPay is making about $70.4million a year on inmates and their families. Is this fair? I had two main thoughts. The first being it is alright to charge for e-messages; while the second thought is, it’s not alright to charge for e-messages. The reason why I would support charging is that the prisoners are in prison for a reason. By charging money, it limits some of the outside interaction which then makes the sentences of prison feel more drastic. Also, by charging for messages, the prisoners are less likely to send messages, which allows for more time to reflect and build more positive qualities. The final reason in support of the charging of e-messages is, the messages that are sent will have a greater personal value, since they cost money. Now for the reasons against JPay charging. The technology that JPay is using is extremely out dated to be making money from it. Also, it doesn’t cost that much to send an e-message. The prices per message is insanely high, and the prisoners don’t make much money in prison. Plus, there are other things the prisoners need to buy other than a few e-messages. Finally, the company JPay is taking advantage of the situation by charging so much from the families. They are making a large profit where there shouldn’t be profit. There are positives and negatives to JPay and other companies, people need to be able to examine both sides before making a judgment on the issue. -CoalRoller711
I agree with you on how the article is very eye opening CoalRoller711. With that being said I mainly agree with that they shouldn’t charge the families for the e-messaging since the inmate themselves barely make a dollar an hour at most. The revenue this JPay is making is outrageous as you stated with the outdated tech they are using. The tablets are a nice way to keep track of what is being said from the inmates and families in my mind as well. -RollForInitiative711
I understand why prisons are ditching hand written letters and going to all electronic form of communication. I feel that it will be easier to monitor the inmates’ conversations with the outside world. I also believe that making all interaction with a family and loved ones electronic is the smart thing to do. It reduces the amount of drugs that enter the jail, as stated in the article colored paper and envelopes were being soaked in drugs like fentanyl. Plus it will make it easier and faster to communicate with your loved ones. The only problem I see with going to electric system of communication is that it seems really expensive for a person in jail. In the article it states that a prisoner can make up to 95 cents an hour and as low as 20 cents an hour. To send an electronic letter it would cost the inmate 35 cents per one page of written text. That is already nearly half the hourly wage of a prisoner making the highest wage. That’s not even the worst part the stamp prices can fluctuate during special days of the year. In the article it stated that the 35 cent stamp could fluctuate to 47 cents a stamp during the week of mother’s day. If you wanted to send a picture along with the letter it would cost you the price of two stamps for the picture. For a video you would be paying at a minimum of a $1.05. To me this seems pricy for an inmate who does not make that much behind bars. Because sending electronic letters is so expensive for the inmates the burden falls on the family. I understand that JP is a business and wants to make money but to me they are taking advantage of the inmates and their families. – ClarkKent711
I totally agree that it would be so much easier and better if the jails would all switch to emailing and getting rid of paper and everything, and how it could prevent a lot of different types of paraphernalia from getting into the jails. In the article it does say that they pay roughly the same amount either way but it is hard for me to see that when you have to sometimes use two or three stamps to send your emails out, and i do not like how this applies to the families as well who just want to talked to their loved ones. I also agree that Jpay is taking advantage of these families. If the inmates and families are going to have to pay all this money to communicate, I would want to see all of the money go toward the prisons themselves and not to some third party company. -Steel711
I agree with you I think JPay is expensive. Yes, it may make everything easier because mail does take longer. But mail you can hold and know that your loved one wrote that for you and you can recieve pictures of loved ones. Also, I think the technology would make it easier to be connected to the outside world that could cause issues with inside the prison. ProbdrinkingStar$’s711
I agree if jails and prisons all just switched everything from paper and pencil to just electronic it would keep the jails and prisons from receiving contraband like paraphernalia. Inmates already must pay for so much when they barely make enough money as it is, so if you eliminate the cost for needing a stamp and sending pictures. Maybe they can buy more snack for them to eat so they are getting a full course meal, or extra grooming tools so they can keep up with their hygiene when they get low. Plus, family is an important factor in getting some prisoners through their sentences. Statechamp711
As someone whose father whose been in and out of jail most of my life getting in touch with him was always hard on us. I have no idea on how to react to this company called JPay, I feel the situation at hand is more of a scam than anything. This is an amazing idea to have families be closer but at that price they are charging is outrageous. They know people are willing to go the extra mile to talk to their loved one who is incarcerated. This almost makes me sick to my stomach that they are taking advantage of these people. Since it’s a private company it is all most impossible to do anything about it. Mrs. Jones has a good point at the end of the article about the families who are worse off than her. Like how do you expect someone to pay their bills and pay you a huge amount on the company’s version of “stamps”? We the tax payers pay so much as it is towards the judicial system. Then this company is so called sweetening the deal by giving tablets away to make sure they are monopolizing the game. Like this company knows how to play the system. Then the states are ok with this. From New York alone Jpay is expected 8.8 million dollars. How is this even possible? In my opinion this has more to do with politics than anything. Just to make a quick buck out of every misfortunate person they can. I agree with Indiana on banning colored paper due to it being able to be soaked in drugs and only using journal paper like everyone else does. With all this going on I believe that we should just stick with lined paper and white envelopes to nullify the monopoly of the prison system. -RollForInitiative711
I don’t agree with JPay way of making their money. Inmates are struggling already as it is from being in prison to not being able to experience life the right way and with love ones. JPay is taking money away from prisoners that barely have money. They're charging people to stay in connect with their loves ones basically making it an option. Either they connect someone or et because what if they only have enough money on their books to eat but not that extra 24 cent or whatever to make that 20min call or that one email. I don't think jpay should have been apart of the jail system because its slowly ripping families apart more than it already is. Here’s someone mom thinking their son/daughter isn’t connecting them calling them or emailing them because they don't want to talk to them but really it's because that prisoner doesn't have any money to do so but neither do they have anyway to communicate that to their parents so their parents take it a different way so they don’t put money on their books. There’s million ways to make money and i don’t investing into the jail system in the way wrong should be an option. That's putting money into jails to make more jails. We should be doing anything in our power to get jails out of business and less inmates inside. I read a article about how most homeless people were formerly incarcerated. The money they’re putting into JPay they can put into a program or some type of housing for the homeless. Money is put into all the wrong places for the wrong reason and wrong people. Instead of building golf courses where there's already golf courts it should be shelter homes where there’s no shelters homes at all. Do more for the people in NEED! KenzieLand711
In my response I mentioned how it is immoral to allow private companies to profit off of prisons so I totally agree with you about how there is money being put into wrong places. Until we can do that I'm afraid we'll continue to see more and more people incarcerated for petty crimes because hey, there's money to be made! It's really quite sad that there are people who are so shameless they would charge someone that much money to speak to a loved one, even if they are in prison. I get that it's meant to be a punishment but how far do we need to go? Avatar711
Let’s just start off with the “model” of these businesses. It says, “Whatever it costs to send a message, prisoners and their families will find a way to pay it.” Not that it concerns or affects me, but in my opinion, something like this is ridiculous. Jpay is only doing this to simply make money it seems like. I can see maybe having the inmates have to pay some money if they want to contact others outside of the prison, but to make their friends and family members have to pay money to send them an email is just unnecessary. Why should they be punished for wanting to talk to their friend, son, or brother or sister? I think that you should be able to send the inmate a letter if you want to send them a letter. Jpay is making millions of dollars off of these people who simply just want to talk to their family members or friends, and in my opinion it is a little selfish. From a business standpoint of the jails, I can see how it makes sense when the article says that the jails make about five cents per message sent, equalling about 710,000 dollars a year. That is a lot of money that the jail could use for a lot of different things, but do they really need the money? Jails get money from taxes to take care of a lot of the things that they need to keep the place up and running and feeding and housing the inmates. Do they really need to take more of the families money just because they want to send an email? In the article it says “Prisoner advocates say that services providing email services to correctional facilities are simply following the same price-gouging formula.” It does not take two postage stamps to send a picture in the mail. You could send ten pictures in an envelope and it still only cost one stamp. I can understand that the prices may kind of be the same but I myself would rather see the prisons themselves getting the money for things rather than some outside company just trying to make money off of these people. -Steel711
I agree with you entirely. Jails and prisons are a big scam for the people who want to talk to their loved ones. I feel like thats why a lot of people quit talking to their loved ones in jail because its so expensive. I don't think people should have to pay to talk to their loved ones like i pay 6-8 dollars for one 15 mins phone which is beyond crazy. I def do feel you on the part when you said why do the love one have to punished because it def feel like you are being punished having to pay money just to talk to a loved one. Some jails make people pay 6 dollars for visits which is even more crazy because why do you have to pay to see your loved one considering you already had to drive there or find a ride there. -JollyRancher711
Steel I agree with your standpoint on how the prison using this for a financial gain, which I agree is "selfish" of the prison and JPay. Making the families pay for this service is unfair just like you said do they really need this money, I do agree that yes who wouldn't want to add more money to their check every month but if they think of what it doing to the family of the prisoner. - Z33 711
Okay, this topic I can relate to sad to say. I deal with a boy that is in peoria county and they have no new technology there what so ever all they have is a phone call that cost roughly 6 dollars for 15 mins. My other friend is locked up in Woodford county and they give their inmates tablets. On the tablets they can listen to music, watch movies, text, watch podcasts and read books. However, it cost to text people. If I remember correctly you can send 300 messages for 20 dollars and 30 dollars for 400 messages and 1000 messages for 50 dollars and that is a monthly fee and you are able to cancel you membership at anytime. I think the new high tech devices some jails are getting are cool, it allow the inmates to feel like they are still in the world rather than being so disconnected from the world. I think having the option to send an email to your loved one in jail is better than sending a letter considering the fact it take days before your loved get the letter then days for you to get a letter back. In my opinion anything is better than sending a letter. I think the prices for the stamp is a little pricey but jail isn't meant to be cheap. I feel like he got a great mom who would go across water for him. She skipped out on a bill send her son something most moms like my mom would not of did that. My mom would have told me all she got enough money for is bills and I would have to wait till she get more money. I don't feel like he should have got 30 years though considering he was only 17 years old I feel like they just threw away that little boy whole life. I do feel like if people want to send a post card through mail they should be able to some people aren't up too date with jpay or other technology which is why I think they should be able to do it the old school way -JollyRancher711
I agree with you, today technology is so different and difficult. They come up with these new devices and new updates that’s it can be default to use and what is someone grandma wanted to send them a letter, they should be able to. I believe the types of communication should go both ways. -Babyblue711
Reading this article really kind of made my blood boil. It sickens me to think there are companies out there shamelessly taking advantage of an extremely vulnerable population (not that it’s a surprise to me by any means, this is just another in a long list sadly.) Personally I feel profiting off of prisons is immoral and things like communication should really be handled and regulated by the government in charge of that prison and not left to the whims of a private company. I know the idea of tax money going towards inmates having better access to phones or internet might rub some the wrong way but I think it’s crucial in today's society to stay connected to what’s going on in the outside world. Plus I would imagine it is incredibly difficult to rehabilitate when you are constantly stressed about either having to pay more than you can afford to speak to a loved one or even worse not being able to speak to anyone on the outside at all...Imagine what that would do to someone's psyche. And I imagine the cost of providing inmates with better tools for outside assimilation would be offset by the savings we would have from having a less incarcerated population. Obviously I don’t think providing internet and phones will single handedly fix our criminal justice system but I do believe treating inmates more like humans rather than animals will in the long run be more beneficial to society. The fact companies like JPay even exist is indicative of how we as a country tend to favor profits above all else. I see this problem only getting worse if we continue to let private companies continue to do the job of our government in order to profit rather than to serve to the population. Avatar711
I definitely agree to that. It is more of a worry with money and a how can I afford to talk to my loved one this week. Not all people with family in prison are going to have the funds to constantly be throwing into the prisons pocket. More than likely they will have to cut back on how many times they can talk to loved ones due to the prices of the interactions, transitioning money and phone calls. I see some of our peers first hand could have to go through this and I feel for them. I do not have family incarcerated but If I did I could tell you I could not constantly afford to talk to them like I would wish. $18 for a phone call is some people's last money out of their paycheck. That could almost fill up some cars gas wise. I think Jones' story was one that bothered many and there are not enough stories out there from families' side for JPay but it sounds like it makes their lives more difficult especially if a family is not tech savvy. -notacop911711
I feel like the JPay is kind of a good idea only because of the amount of money. I know that when people are in prison you have to have some money on their books to be able to do certain things. As I was reading it mention the amount of money it takes to do certain things. I quote “Each “stamp” covers only one page of writing. Want to send photos of a nephew’s graduation, a niece’s prom dress or a new baby? Each picture costs an additional stamp. A short video clips? That’ll be three stamps. With the postal service”. I know before the JPay it was if having a local number for the inmate to call will save $0.15 per minute or $2.25 per 15-minute call. I feel like the JPay is more reasonable and cheap way tom communicate to your love ones. The story about Jones made it think about the cons of JPay. I say this because, she really wanted to send her son a surprise grit but couldn’t because of JPay. Sometimes some physical means a lot to someone who can even see or touch things out of prison or jail. Not being able to send things to them that they may keep for yours may be a bad feeling to them because it could keep their head up. Either way it goes both communications can go a long way with someone behind bars. -Babyblue711
We live in a world where we are blessed and cursed to have advanced technology. We rely heavily on the advanced technology that we have. I believe having a system like JPay, where inmates are able to e-message is a good idea because it is then easier to keep in contact with their family and friends. Therefore, before they get released they can make some sort of arrangements of where they can stay or even possibly have a job set up so they are able to get back on their feet and start making right choices. But then you could run into the problem where some inmates contacts either don’t have access to a smart device or they are too old to know how they work to be able to contact them. I do believe that the e-messages should cost money just like the real mail and they should also be a reward. The inmates should have to earn their way to be able to use them. They also need to be monitored. Having the kiosks can cause issues because of all the inmates wanting to use them all at the same time and having people cut lines could cause fights to happen. But I also don’t think each and every inmate should get their own tablet. Some of them probably have never even gotten the chance to use one before because they don’t have access or the resources. Also, the inmates having access to their own tablets can cause issues like trying to escape or try to cause other issues within the prison or outside in the real world. I do believe that JPay should keep the prices the same as the stamps on postal mail. They should not be any cheaper or more expensive. The inmates need to prove that they have deserved this and have worked hard to earn being able to talk to loved ones. ProbdrinkingStar$’s711
I agree that our age of technology is vastly growing and that it is also a curse and a blessing. I do also think Jpay is also a good concept but the part I do not like about Jpay is the pricing and how it is turning the whole idea on letters and throwing them into a garbage bin. We should be allowed to send letter to our loved one’s without having them or us to pay more to speak with them for a shorter length and get less out as we want. When we have much longer times to think like writing a letter we can say everything and anything we need to just give our loved one’s the knowledge of what is going on in our homes or cities and states. -MyHandle711
I think it is absolutely ridiculous how much money this monopoly Jpay is making out of just an hour of messaging or even in certain cases just a single message. I think it should be stopped. Just let them send and receive letters. The prisoners will have hours to right what they need into a letter but paying a ridiculous fee just to use Jpay for a single hour is outrageous. Like this 17 year old that has to serve 30 years can not receive any letters from his family because of a monopoly making it so he is forced into using Jpay to speak or have contact with his family. As we all know someone in prison, I just feel like they are most likely already dealing with such a hard place and then these monopolies walk in and make you have to pay so much more just to send messages to your family. I absolutely hate how there are times placed on how long you are allowed to send messages to family like go back in the 90’s and you would have a letter filled to the absolute maximum and it could have so much more meaning, for example in my possession have a letter from vietnam and the letter is completely filled to the brim in the regular style of writing front and back but also if you turn it sideways it is filled sideways front and back as well. Something like this does not take an hour, it would take more like 3-4 hours based on the depth of thought put into what is being sent. I feel very strong on this subject because these families are being basically scammed of their hard earned money just to speak to loved ones and they should not be getting played by monopolies like this. -MyHandle711
I agree with the point you made about times with the phone calls. You don't get to see them very much so it’s nice to talk to them for a while. Only being able to talk to them for a few minutes every once in a while would be really hard. I also agree with the point you made about families being scammed. The fact that they have to pay to talk to their family members is kind of sad because being it’s hard enough being financially stable today. -SOCCER31
First, I would like to say inmates in prison is someone else’s mother, father, cousin, brother, sister, aunt, uncle, etc. No matter what crime they have committed. I believe that JPay has its advantages and its disadvantages, for example in prison I believe that having a good support is good to have because it can keep your head on straight and keep you in a good place not only mentally, but also physically. Also, it helps family members that’s on the outside who unfortunately aren’t able to make it out on special occasions such big holidays or even birthdays who doesn’t line up with the specifics inmates visitation days, so JPay always the family to send an electronic email to let the specific inmate know that at least they thought of them, which is a small thing, but to inmates the little means the most to them. When there’s so good there can also be some bad around the corner so, when you think about inmates being able to communicate with the outside on a constant basis electronically you start to think depending on the individual and the crime in which he committed, will he be able to try and finish business that was involved in the crime, or simply be able to send out information that he learns from the inside to the outside that can make matters a whole lot worse if people was to find out and even if he was receiving information from the outside in and handing business for people on the outside potentially being a “hitman” for someone on the outside. If think about it, it’s really not a bad gig because its not costing any tax payer extra money so if we are already spending 40,000 dollars a year for one inmate to be in solitary confinement why not help make sure if they ever get out they have at least a family to go to. Statechamp711
I agree with you that families aren't always to make it on special occasions so mailing a card or hearing their voice means alot when your on the inside. Having a good support system goes a long way and it means alot that people on the outside still care about you when they’re incarcerated. We as taxpayers do pay a lot of money to house them so we should help make sure they have a family to go home to. However i feel jpay puts a dent in that because not everyone has many to put money on the phones or jpay.~Justice711
I don't really agree with JPay and I didnt know that this was happening in some of the prisons. I think it’s just a way of making more money but they limited the chances of the inmates communicating with their families even more. The inmates don't make very much money at all so this makes it even harder for them to stay connected with their families. I don't like how the family members that are not incarcerated have to pay for stamps in order for them to send things. There are inmates that have disabilities that might prevent them from working and it’s not right that they cant talk to their families because of the cost of JPay or the cost of phone calls. I also thought this was wrong when the article said that “the more ways prisoners are cut off from communicating with their families, the better it is for business.”. Cutting inmates off from their families just so the business can be successful is completely wrong. I think that eighteen dollars for a twenty minute phone call is very expensive for an inmate because they don't make very much at all. Inmates usually earn twenty to ninety five cents per hour and that’s a very small amount of money. I feel like inmates should not have to pay to talk to their families. Keeping them from talking to their families when they don't have enough money seems wrong. I thought it was kind of sad when Jones couldn't send an actual birthday card to her son. Sending a birthday card through an email isn't really the same. Sometimes when inmates get cards, it makes their day better. Sometimes when the inmates look at the cards, it makes them feel happy. Some inmates probably look forward to getting a card from their families because they know that the family is thinking of them. -SOCCER31
I do agree that Jplay is making the connection between the families and them easier however they are making way to much off of that. I think that the stamps are a little excessive and the fees to make the transaction or extremely high and should be lowered.Its crazy the amount of money they are making off of them just because they know the family and loved ones will do pay anything to make that connection with them. When hearing that JPay reported a revenue of $30.4 million, and three years later, its revenue had more than doubled to $70.4 million.With many prisons getting a 5 cent commision per message, prison systems that use JPay stand to collect $710,000 on e-messages alone.This information is intense, it's kind of sad that they are taking advantage of the situation but at the same time the people are serving time, it shouldn't be a place with a lot of privileges. So I definitely see how it's helping the prison because it cost nothing to the prisons and the prisoners get to make contact just at an annoying high price and many people in there can't afford anything anyway and the jobs in prison they make cents an hour so it's expensive to them. With all that being said I feel like they have the right to charge the amount they do for the inmate but the fee for the transaction is a little ridiculous. -pizz711
This article is actually pretty devastating. I could not imagine being a parent or child of someone in prison and I cannot send home-written cards and pictures all because a prison chose to adopt a system they thought would be beneficial for families and the inmates. That means that the 6 year old little girl whose daddy is in prison cannot receive her handwritten card and drawing. What about families that do not have technology? Not everyone has a tablet or laptop or even money for one. Families that are expected to follow the JPay system, are more than likely already trying their best to put money into the prisoners account to help feed them and give them extra room in prison to not feel like they have nothing. The fact that this also costs as much as it does, it is not effective. It is an innovative idea but it is not a positive thing and in prisons, positive things come by slim. They are not helping the prisoners by any means. I absolutely could not imagine this happening within my family. It needs to be treated as a big deal. This is not in the prisoners best interest and to help them, it is because more money will come by for the prison if they do this. They know people are not just going to give up and if they really love their family member who is incarcerated then they will pay pretty much whatever they can to have contact and remain that contact with them. It cost little to nothing for the prison. Granted, overall it makes it easier, If I was locked up, I would take a picture my child drove over a little stamp she had to pick from. $18 for a twenty minute phone call is revolting as well. -notacop911711
You made a really good argument and I totally agree with what you stated "Not everyone has a tablet or laptop or even money for one. Families that are expected to follow the JPay system are more than likely already trying their best to put money into the prisoners account to help feed them and give them extra room in prison to not feel like they have nothing." Just as you said if there is a family member in prison that family is probably already likely to be rough on cash. I think that the whole system is just ridiculous. I could understand making just the inmate pay (seeing that that money probably already comes from family of the prisoner), but making the family pay is honestly just being selfish. I would rather get a card from a daughter than a flat email, but prisons will do what prisons do to feed off of a family's (not just the inmate) money. -tanlion_nala711
Jpay, the whole idea makes sense but I don’t understand one thing, why make the family pay to send a message as well? We hear the phrase “make a phone call” or “(insert amount) per minute clock is ticking.” Those make sense for inmates to have to pay because they are within their total institution. I feel like it is unnecessary for JPay to go both ways when it comes to paying. I understand there may be discounts on holidays and though the cost for a stamp is small...it adds up. From thirty-seven cents back up to forty-one cents after a holiday. Though I believe that the biggest con to JPay is that family has to pay to send as well, there are pros as well. For example, being able to send at least a one page email to a family member. Though it may be one page, it means a lot to send just a few words. Another pro would be things like seeing pictures or videos. It could be something as small as a new pet (I think people would save money just talking about the pet rather than saving a picture) or seeing your daughter’s prom dress, seeing your baby boy or girl, etc. Videos are even better because even though you cannot physically see a person, it will give you a sense that they are there with you. JPay is closed off to just a small array of possibilities; I do think that it is better than nothing. -tanlion_nala711
I honestly think jpay is just a way to get the families out of more money. Families should be able to mail a card without it been electronic. I also feel that with jpay it stops some inmates from talking with their love ones. Not everyone has money to constantly put money on jpay plus commissary.Then the calls don’t be long enough. Low income families already struggle, so why should they have to struggle even more to talk to their love ones. Stamps should also not cost more to purchase they should b the same price. Not all prisoners are incarcerated for selfless crimes many are in their because they needed a way to support their families, now they can’t even talk to them. Then when they call one may or may not answering so they are still using their money and it’s not fair at all. Jpay is just another lazy way to get money out of people.~Justice711
From an open minded and neutral perspective I can see where the jpay is a smart and convenient idea from the prisons prospective. It cost the prisons nothing. Cost effectively, than the prison staff doesn’t have to go through nearly as much prisoner mail saving valuable dollars. As the article stated whether it be the prisoner or the family they always seem to come up with the amount being charged. Unfortunately the larger electronic communication avenues are not available in the prison system so jpay and similar companies can set the monetary value for their services. I don’t necessarily agree with the fluctuation of the stamp prices or the unregulated price changes. Although communication pricing can mirror fuel pricing because of the limited salaries of prisoners and their families salaries control should be put in place so price gouging is eliminated. Just like with tornadoes, hurricanes and other natural disasters. As the article states the only other option for communication is via telephone. Although the most personal because it is voice on voice it is not as practical as being able to sit down at a computer screen to express your feelings. But on the other hand the bottom line is these people are experiencing the cost of communicating with family members, the high costs because they chose to break the law like the article states to the free world there is yahoo, gmail, facebook, etc once we break the law and become incarcerated we now have to live with the rules and regs of the penal system. Unfortunately for the prisoner they are forced to pay a substantial rate because the prison themselves can not afford to pick up the tap for electronic communication for the prisoners and their families ( the prisons systems view not my circus not my money when it comes to picking up the tab for prisoners communication with their family members.) -mmmChicken711
What I got from this article was that Jpay and all of this electronic stuff is just making it more difficult for prisoners to communicate with the outside world and their families. They claim that it is more convenient and easier but with the prices they charge and the way they seem to do things it sounds more like a pain. I agree that in order for prisoners to use technology and get special privileges they should have to work for it and have to earn it. I’m all for that but the fact that they are making it so difficult for the families is something I don’t get. It seems to me that Jpay is just another company that is making easy money in a big way. And the prison systems too. I found it interesting that some of the prisons are making a one cent commission off of each phone call or video call. Hopefully all that is going towards the prison and improvements. Another thing that doesn't sit well with me is the fact that the prices are always changing and fluctuating. To me they should just have it on a set price and call it good. They already know they are going to make money anyway so they might as well just leave it at that and call it good. And yes I realize that at the end of the day these are inmates and that they are in there for a reason. But bottom line is to me it seems like this system makes it harder for the family than it does for the prisoner. IceT711
I believe companies, such as JPay, are using low crime prisoners to their advantage, such as if someone is there for a small crime and is only gonna be in prison for a year and they want to stay in contact with families or friends, they are able to charge them for paying a ridiculous amount of money, I know 30-40 cents doesn't sound a lot but for someone working in prison who only make roughly 20-95 cents per hour that is a ton of money. Prisoners who want to stay in contact with their families are having to work about 8 hours just to get about 3 emails (including pictures) to their families, But I believe that the prisoner's families shouldn't have to pay the fee for them to send an email to their loved one. I do like the idea of every prisoner getting their own tablet causing the line for the kiosk to lower down and decrease the number of fights and arguments about cutting in line. The price of the tablet in my eyes are reasonable because Tablets are not cheap to make and if they are giving someone an electronic who, such as, broke into someone's house and smashed everything who is saying that they wouldn't do it to the prisons stuff? I do believe that a prisoner talking to his/her family is therapeutic and would help rehabilitate the prisoner but this doesn't apply to everyone. I do agree with www.wired.com about how Jade Trombetta asked why do they increase the price of email stamps during specific times of the year, I believe that they do this because during, such as, Christmastime because families will want to send pictures and wish their loved ones a Merry Christmas and remind that they are loved which in return has a good influence on the prisoners mental health. Overall the article is correct on the point that JPay is making families harder to communicate inside of systems. -z33 711
I totally agree with what your saying about if they did a low crime and arent in jail for that long. They should be able to talk to their loved ones without paying so much. I also think that the prices for the tablets are a little expensive but they do come in handy when talking about making the line for the kiosk shorter. -ny711
I think Jpay is not a good idea and there is no point in doing it. People in prision already go through a lot and making them worry about how they are going to talk to loved ones is hard. Sending letters and getting stmaps for the letters seem a little expensive. But making a phone call is a lot more money. A lot of the inmates do not have money of their own. I think people in prision for minor crimes should be able to just get on the phone and call thier loved ones.There shouldnt be a fee. Its already hard for the inmates because they cant recieve letters or pictures from their family. Which if they could recieve those things it would probably make they feel more at home and it could also keep them updated on whats going on in their famlies life. I also think that how you can only send letters on certian papers and send certian size pictures is ridiculous. What if what your family has to talk about is longer than a page? Also, in the article it states “ And, with prisoners typically earning 20 cents to 95 cents an hour in jobs behind bars, the cost of keeping in touch most likely falls to family members and friends.” That shows how the inmates dont have enough money for calls and letters especially if they have to pay for their own toiletries and snacks. But on the other hand if you are in jail for more severe crimes you should have to earn to be able to talk on the phone or send letters. Therefore, it should be cheaper for inmates to communicate with loved ones. I think that Jpay isnt the best idea and maybe one day there will be a better system. -ny711
the phone system in todays prisons were for a very long time quite expensive which caused a lot of prisoners the unfortunate situation of not being allowed to contact loved ones,The calls were in the range of $25 to $30 dollars per thirty minute call depending on what facility you were housed and where you were calling,if the prison was close to where you were calling it could be a little less but still to high for local rates.The prison industry had private companies in which you were forced to accept their phone service,so if you had another phone service such as ATNT who rates may be cheaper it didn't matter you still had to use the company the prison had their contract with!! The prison system is an industry in itself and to be contracted under private phone companys is only an extra burden on familys of the incarcerated ,so it's just not costing the prisoner but the families who suffer from this 'HUSTLE'but just recently due to a lawsuit being filed by prisoners and The Mcarthur Law Center an advocate for prisoners rights group the phone calls in Illinois is at the lowest they bhave been in over a decade the phone industry now who the prisons are contacted under is called 'Securus'and the rates for all calls are an amazingly one cent per minute!! so this will now allow inmates who at times could not reach out to their loved ones can perhaps now afford to conversate with friends and family and loved ones and there are guys who have not spoken to anyone in their family since being sent to prison!! but now can call without the worries of it's cost to their loved ones .The prison system unfortunately may not realize the significance of this. this can be a valuable option in keeping chaos down at the prison when a person who is already under stress being able to call on someone is very important to a person and of course it gives the family of prisoners a much better chance to communicate with their loved ones and for those who may have never been able to conversate with family and friends this was definitely an outstanding gift for those individuals and their loved ones .... warhogg711
I agree that not charging so much could posibbly decrease the fact that cell phones are being smuggled in prison of course some may just enjoy or want the leisury of having it but I do believe had the rates not been as high it would've mattered, but as far as the comment that if people would live within the law they would not be subject to the outrageous secondary companies well even though its a common saying it is true that everyone incarcerated are not guilty and some in prison for a crime committed that should not even warrant prison such as driving on suspended to get to work or stealing out a grocery store to simply eat and the guy who bust a window to gain shelter in prison there are so many 'crimes'society sends people to prison for when they need help or in some minds are justified but even for those that deserve to be in prison fair is fair and the rates for a simple phone call was and in some places just outrageous!!!! lawhogg71
I agree that not charging so much could posibbly decrease the fact that cell phones are being smuggled in prison of course some may just enjoy or want the leisury of having it but I do believe had the rates not been as high it would've mattered, but as far as the comment that if people would live within the law they would not be subject to the outrageous secondary companies well even though its a common saying it is true that everyone incarcerated are not guilty and some in prison for a crime committed that should not even warrant prison such as driving on suspended to get to work or stealing out a grocery store to simply eat and the guy who bust a window to gain shelter in prison there are so many 'crimes'society sends people to prison for when they need help or in some minds are justified but even for those that deserve to be in prison fair is fair and the rates for a simple phone call was and in some places just outrageous!!!! lawhogg71
the phone system in todays prisons were for a very long time quite expensive which caused a lot of prisoners the unfortunate situation of not being allowed to contact loved ones,The calls were in the range of $25 to $30 dollars per thirty minute call depending on what facility you were housed and where you were calling,if the prison was close to where you were calling it could be a little less but still to high for local rates.The prison industry had private companies in which you were forced to accept their phone service,so if you had another phone service such as ATNT who rates may be cheaper it didn't matter you still had to use the company the prison had their contract with!! The prison system is an industry in itself and to be contracted under private phone companys is only an extra burden on familys of the incarcerated ,so it's just not costing the prisoner but the families who suffer from this 'HUSTLE'but just recently due to a lawsuit being filed by prisoners and The Mcarthur Law Center an advocate for prisoners rights group the phone calls in Illinois is at the lowest they bhave been in over a decade the phone industry now who the prisons are contacted under is called 'Securus'and the rates for all calls are an amazingly one cent per minute!! so this will now allow inmates who at times could not reach out to their loved ones can perhaps now afford to conversate with friends and family and loved ones and there are guys who have not spoken to anyone in their family since being sent to prison!! but now can call without the worries of it's cost to their loved ones .The prison system unfortunately may not realize the significance of this. this can be a valuable option in keeping chaos down at the prison when a person who is already under stress being able to call on someone is very important to a person and of course it gives the family of prisoners a much better chance to communicate with their loved ones and for those who may have never been able to conversate with family and friends this was definitely an outstanding gift for those individuals and their loved ones … lawhogg711
After reading this i was completely in shock, i didn’t realize that you have to pay to communicate with people while you are in prison. I was aware that you have to buy stamps to send letters and cards but that is it. I understand that with the way technology advancing that this probably makes it easier for the workers to read the letters and make sure everyone is talking about what they should be but the fact that they are making so much money off of it is ridiculous. For the family having a loved one in prison is stressful already so I’m sure if your already struggling to talk to someone with writing and the expenses with stamps and for the inmate to buy paper, pens, stamps now you have to worry about purchasing a tablet and everything else it could be extremely overwhelming and depressing. I understand that they put their self in prison and thats the reason why they are dealing with these issues but i feel like if you want someone to turn around and make a change that would be very hard to do if your not able to talk to your family or if your making it hard for them to, because if your lonely your going to be depressed and thats only going to make things worse. In my opinion Jpay should be an option but like any other technology it will take over and like they said it eventually will be the only way. I also feel like receiving a birthday card or holiday card on a device is nothing like receiving it in the mail, I’m sure a lot of prisoners look forward to that one time a year when they get an actual card hand picked by someone they love and they are able to keep it to read it whenever they want. Getting a card over the internet just seems kind of careless to me. Even a letter when you read a letter someone wrote you know they took the time to sit and think what they want to sat to you , not like the internet where you can just type a few sentences and be done. momx3
I can see the point behind Jpay, but at the same time, is it really necessary? I mean Americans already pay for the inmates to be held in prison/jail, should the suffering families of inmates and other families really have to pay pay more to talk to their loved ones? Now on the other hand I feel that it is fair that the inmates should pay to speak to the people on the outside world, but I disagree that people from the outside world who are paying for the inmates to be held in prison/jail should have to pay extra to speak to the inmates. Now on the hand is it right to have a monopoly within the prisons in which families communicate with each other? In the sense of providing new technology in the way that messages are sent and received I can agree with, but I do not agree with the fluctuating costs of the stamps. I feel like it should be the same cost as a normal stamp. There also should not be a monopoly in doing this. There should be other ways so prices could drop with phone calls coming into the facilities. Other organizations will create competition within the different companies, this will help lower prices of phone calls and stamps. With each stamp only covering one page of writing, with a family that has not seen their loved ones in awhile will have a lot to say to he/she that is in prison. For a low income family a few pages could be hard to come by, if some families give up their electricity bill to send a message to an inmate, just think of what the really poor families are giving up to be able to talk to their loved ones. crispychicken711
ReplyDeleteI agree with families and paying to speak to loved ones in prison should not really be a thing, but don't you think that if the prisoners we awarded the same low cost as them or not as much of a high cost as it already is would prevent them from illegally sneaking phones into prison as well. It's almost like many are so desperate to keep in touch with the outside world that they risk getting in trouble just to be able to talk to family and friends. Redbird711
DeleteI have a father figure that is in prison right now, he wont be out of prison until I'm ,at the earliest, 24 years old. I'll be nineteen next month. communicating with him is already expensive enough on phone calls which he only calls maybe twice out of the month where i can actually pickup the phone. prisoners are restricted a ton in who they can call and when they can call someone and i find it very hard to get a call during a time that is even remotely possible for my schedule being that I am not only a college student but i work a full time job as well. the way I look at jpay is as a scam, jpay (in my opinion) just adds restrictions to communication between prisoners and the outside world, many people are in prison because they committed a crime that could've possible helped provide for their family. with that in mind how is someone that got locked up trying to provide for his or her family suppose to talk to a family member when they are charged just to send a written message, and its not no twenty seven cent postage stamp its multiple dollars a card or a letter. Prisoners incarcerated are sometimes not even capable of making the amount to send a card in a day. At thirty five cents an hour prisoners are lucky if they make a dollar in a day, because they are not working eight hour work days, but there are also disabled prisoners who have a health condition that prevents them from working which restricts them from making any change at all its completely up to the people on the outside and in my opinion why should they have to pay for crime they're son, daughter, brother, sister, mom, dad, cousin committed? - RickyBobby711
ReplyDeleteI can sympathize with you in the sense that I too have had a loved one incarcerated previously in my life as well. It is extremely frustrating the amount of hurdles and fees you have to pay to stay in touch with said loved one, let alone trying to find time that works for both of you to communicate. I believe companies like JPay should not be allowed to run their bogus monopoly on the industry they’re in, let alone set fluctuating prices based on how much they feel like they should be making each month. Something needs to be done about this in the very near future, or I fear it will only get worse and spread to even more places of incarceration. GMan219
DeleteRickybobby711, this article I am sure hit home as you have experienced this issue first hand. Without a doubt you know the frustrations and the blessings this company JPay has given. I totally agree it’s a major rip off in the cost per message or phone call. They are making a profit where there shouldn’t be profit. They don’t have a right to charge that much. It’s hard to pay for such an expensive luxury when making less than a $1.50 in a day. It’s just not a fair system. -CoalRoller711
DeleteI disagree with you. It is very unfortunate circumstances though with your situation, but these individuals have put themselves here. They made a mistake. Prison is not supposed to benifit a criminal. I feel Jpay is necessary, and a terrific idea. It can bring in revenue to the states as well.
DeleteI agree with you, i feel like jpay is just another way to make money. Im sure it is really hard trying to talk to someone when the time is right for the both of you and i think having jpay just adds more complications to that. I don’t think its right because someone you love committed a crime you have to pay an excessive amount of money on both there end and yours to communicate with them. I feel like being in prison is probably already hard ( not that you should be able to commit a crime and not be punished for it ) but its like now its being made even harder to keep in contact with the outside world and I’m sure that makes a person feel very lonely.
Delete^^^ momx3
DeleteUnfortunately, I do not see a point in Jpay. Of course it's a huge money making business but the way this company goes about it seems a little selfish. Stamps and sending are already enough for not just the prisoners but for the families and friends as well. It's almost like talking to the outside world is a privilege. Being a huge mental health advocate, this could possibly tie into worsening depression and outrageous acts within the incarcerated individuals. The only way an individual is able to communicate is if they have earned and or have made enough money to contact anyone. Image the people who don't have that opportunity. When it come to special foods and drinks in prison, yes I feel like that should be earned, but keeping a relationship outside of prison is not something I think should be a privilege. While “behavior” being the number one importance to getting treated like a human, I feel that there should be other methods and opportunities for prisoners to get the privilege to sending mail or making phone calls. What I think will happen in the future is that another company similar to Jpay will provide the same services but only for a more cheap, REASONABLE price. If that were to happen, it would give prisoners and their families greater opportunities to pay and send mail and communicate which will ease a lot of stress with money away. This would cause a better chance for people to stay in touch a lot more often than they originally have in the past. With that being said, as of right now it would be nice to have services like Jpay consider other people and think about their money situation than charges outrageous amounts to keep in contact with loved ones.
ReplyDeleteRedbird711
I totally agree with you. JPay is pointless and its just a way for a business to become a money making enterprise. It does not help nor care for any prisoners at all. I didn't think about the mental health aspect either that is a great point. Just because it cost money some prisoners family may not even send them mail now which will in turn depress the inmate.
Delete-I-Like-Cereal
I highly agree! Instead of JPay putting money where money is needed it’s putting money where money already is just building it up. Charging INMATES to talk to their love ones is very selfish due to the fact they already gotten taken from their love one rather it was their fault or not. KenzieLand711
DeleteI strongly agree with you. Companies like Jpay seem to really just be out there to help themselves and make money not really to help prisoners reach the outside world. I also agree in the sense that side world for prisoners is and should be a privilege not a right when a person is in prison but i do feel like the prices for doing so should be substantially lower and hope in the near future these prices can change - RickyBobby711
DeleteI agree with you 100%. Jpay to me seems like a company that is just out to reap the harvest and not have any consideration for the feelings of the loved ones just trying to keep in contact with their loved ones in prison. Especially since most of the families live in lower income areas statistically. IceT711
DeleteI had no idea that things like JPay were even a thing- I thought prisoners and incarcerated individuals still used the regular mailing system of writing using pen and paper to contact their loved ones and communicate with the outside world. Hearing how restricted the system has become as far as what can come into the prison/leave the prison, I can understand most of it. I can see that if drugs like fentanyl are capable of being absorbed into colorful pieces of paper, then it probably should be banned. However, restricting inmates to use nothing but some sort of electronic communication that charges for every message sent is ludicrous. The company JPay. in my opinion, is an absolute joke and is taking advantage of a huge portion of the United States incapable of working around their system or fighting back for the most part. The fact that JPay is able to fluctuate their prices however they please is also sickening to me. This is absolutely ridiculous that some random inmate communication company is able to control the prices of how much each “stamp” costs to send a page of writing/pictures for the inmates subjected to the use of their system. If JPay is to remain a thing, which I strongly wish it wouldn’t but it most likely will, then the prices should absolutely be fixed- and not by the company itself. The government should step in and help out with this ludicrous problem and at the very least, set the price of sending messages to something acceptable and feasible for the inmates. Another factor that I find upsetting is that the sole company in this “electronic messaging system” is JPay- creating a monopoly of sorts. Other companies need to be introduced to create competition, competitive prices, and actually decent systems that don’t feature old/cheap programs to maximize profits for said companies. GMan219
ReplyDeleteHey Gman I enjoyed reading your post. I had no idea these alternate electronics communication companies existed. In watching documentaries on prison life i to had no idea that they smuggles contraband through letters, glues, and stamps. This is how I feel I think that it is unfortunate that people take advantage of prisoner and their families as you stated but if people would choose to live within the law they wouldn’t be subjected to the outrages of these secondary communication companies. -mmmchicken711
DeleteI don't necessarily agree with with the program JPay. I think it is right to let families send letters and pictures for their loved who is in prison. Even though JPay is a quick and efficient way of communication with the prisoners and there family, Prisoners cannot receive sentimental things from home through the electronic way without it costing them in stamps. If a family sends a letter a prison can get pictures and things that make them feel like they are at home. I think it is straight up wrong to charge a prisoner to receive a message or print of a photo that was sent electronically. It also cost additional stamps to print of short video clips and multiple pictures. Prisoners also have the option to skip the kiosk lines and buy a tablet that they use for one hundred dollars. One hundred dollars is a significant amount of money. Prison officials are saying that this is a way to implement prisoners back into society when they get released but in my opinion its just a way for the company, and prisons to make more money. JPay is constantly changing the prices of stamps that are required to see your mail and print things off, and it doesn't look like they are lowering the prices either more like raising them significantly. I just do not think it is right to charge prisoners that much money just to receive a letter and print things off. I think its all about the money and has nothing to do with actually keeping family members close. The company also never told anybody why they keep fluctuating and raising the prices. I think JPay is constantly raising their prices to see how expensive they can make them before capping the price out.I think Prisons should just stick to the mail writing system and not charge prisoners to print pictures off.
ReplyDelete-I-Like-Cereal
I too believe that, yes JPay is a good way for prisoners to communicate with each other, but they are changing prices making harder for lower income families to be able to communicate with one another. I think prisons should stick with just pen and paper writing instead of having to deal with the change stamp prices with JPay. –Adventurefligh711
DeleteI understand that JPay is trying to make it a more 21st century way for prisoners and their families to communicate with one another, but do they have to make it so expensive for them? I mean many of these prisoners come from low income families, who might not be able to pay each month for a whole lot of time to either talk or e-message them. Although it costs nothing to sign up for email, with some companies, the real costs comes from the families and prisoners wallets. According to the article while working in prison, a prisoner can earn anywhere from 20 to 95 cents a day behind bars. Making it a lot harder to communication between family members. I do believe that there should be a fee though; I just don’t believe that it should be so expensive. Isn’t bad enough that a family member might be in prison for an indefinite amount of time. It does seem like that JPay is being unfair to both the families and the prisoners. Also, in the article it says that it is a great way to make easy money, which I agree with that statement. It is a way to earn fast money, but that is because of how expensive companies like JPay make it to communicate with the outside world. Also, it’s an easy sell. I mean who wouldn’t want to keep in touch with loved ones while behind bars and would pay anything to make that happen. Some people might ask why not just do the old fashioned writing pen and paper. Well, apparently there is an increase in narcotics and synthetic narcotics, an example being fentanyl, can be soaked in colorful paper. So, for preventing drugs coming through the mail, prisons now only allow handwritten letters on white lined paper. Hopefully, sometime in the future, it will be less expensive for families communicate while in prison. –Adventueflight711
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that it seems to be really expensive for an inmate to communicate with their families. They do not make enough with their jobs to send out letters on a regular basis. I also agree with you that there should be a fee. A fee that is reasonable for the inmates to pay. ClarkKent711
DeleteThis article on: “How Companies Make Millions Charging Prisoners to Send an Email,” was very eye opening to say the least. I was greatly unaware of such a pressing issue among prisons across the country. This article explained the hardship families encounter while trying to communicate with a family member in prison. The prisons have strict regulations on paper mail, let alone if it is even allowed; hence making e-messages more appealing. JPay is a company that several states use for their prisoners. It sounds like a win for all parties involved. However, that is far from the reality. The truth of the matter is that JPay is making about $70.4million a year on inmates and their families. Is this fair? I had two main thoughts. The first being it is alright to charge for e-messages; while the second thought is, it’s not alright to charge for e-messages. The reason why I would support charging is that the prisoners are in prison for a reason. By charging money, it limits some of the outside interaction which then makes the sentences of prison feel more drastic. Also, by charging for messages, the prisoners are less likely to send messages, which allows for more time to reflect and build more positive qualities. The final reason in support of the charging of e-messages is, the messages that are sent will have a greater personal value, since they cost money. Now for the reasons against JPay charging. The technology that JPay is using is extremely out dated to be making money from it. Also, it doesn’t cost that much to send an e-message. The prices per message is insanely high, and the prisoners don’t make much money in prison. Plus, there are other things the prisoners need to buy other than a few e-messages. Finally, the company JPay is taking advantage of the situation by charging so much from the families. They are making a large profit where there shouldn’t be profit. There are positives and negatives to JPay and other companies, people need to be able to examine both sides before making a judgment on the issue. -CoalRoller711
ReplyDeleteI agree with you on how the article is very eye opening CoalRoller711. With that being said I mainly agree with that they shouldn’t charge the families for the e-messaging since the inmate themselves barely make a dollar an hour at most. The revenue this JPay is making is outrageous as you stated with the outdated tech they are using. The tablets are a nice way to keep track of what is being said from the inmates and families in my mind as well. -RollForInitiative711
DeleteI understand why prisons are ditching hand written letters and going to all electronic form of communication. I feel that it will be easier to monitor the inmates’ conversations with the outside world. I also believe that making all interaction with a family and loved ones electronic is the smart thing to do. It reduces the amount of drugs that enter the jail, as stated in the article colored paper and envelopes were being soaked in drugs like fentanyl. Plus it will make it easier and faster to communicate with your loved ones. The only problem I see with going to electric system of communication is that it seems really expensive for a person in jail. In the article it states that a prisoner can make up to 95 cents an hour and as low as 20 cents an hour. To send an electronic letter it would cost the inmate 35 cents per one page of written text. That is already nearly half the hourly wage of a prisoner making the highest wage. That’s not even the worst part the stamp prices can fluctuate during special days of the year. In the article it stated that the 35 cent stamp could fluctuate to 47 cents a stamp during the week of mother’s day. If you wanted to send a picture along with the letter it would cost you the price of two stamps for the picture. For a video you would be paying at a minimum of a $1.05. To me this seems pricy for an inmate who does not make that much behind bars. Because sending electronic letters is so expensive for the inmates the burden falls on the family. I understand that JP is a business and wants to make money but to me they are taking advantage of the inmates and their families. – ClarkKent711
ReplyDeleteI totally agree that it would be so much easier and better if the jails would all switch to emailing and getting rid of paper and everything, and how it could prevent a lot of different types of paraphernalia from getting into the jails. In the article it does say that they pay roughly the same amount either way but it is hard for me to see that when you have to sometimes use two or three stamps to send your emails out, and i do not like how this applies to the families as well who just want to talked to their loved ones. I also agree that Jpay is taking advantage of these families. If the inmates and families are going to have to pay all this money to communicate, I would want to see all of the money go toward the prisons themselves and not to some third party company. -Steel711
DeleteI agree with you I think JPay is expensive. Yes, it may make everything easier because mail does take longer. But mail you can hold and know that your loved one wrote that for you and you can recieve pictures of loved ones. Also, I think the technology would make it easier to be connected to the outside world that could cause issues with inside the prison.
DeleteProbdrinkingStar$’s711
I agree if jails and prisons all just switched everything from paper and pencil to just electronic it would keep the jails and prisons from receiving contraband like paraphernalia. Inmates already must pay for so much when they barely make enough money as it is, so if you eliminate the cost for needing a stamp and sending pictures. Maybe they can buy more snack for them to eat so they are getting a full course meal, or extra grooming tools so they can keep up with their hygiene when they get low. Plus, family is an important factor in getting some prisoners through their sentences.
DeleteStatechamp711
As someone whose father whose been in and out of jail most of my life getting in touch with him was always hard on us. I have no idea on how to react to this company called JPay, I feel the situation at hand is more of a scam than anything. This is an amazing idea to have families be closer but at that price they are charging is outrageous. They know people are willing to go the extra mile to talk to their loved one who is incarcerated. This almost makes me sick to my stomach that they are taking advantage of these people. Since it’s a private company it is all most impossible to do anything about it. Mrs. Jones has a good point at the end of the article about the families who are worse off than her. Like how do you expect someone to pay their bills and pay you a huge amount on the company’s version of “stamps”? We the tax payers pay so much as it is towards the judicial system. Then this company is so called sweetening the deal by giving tablets away to make sure they are monopolizing the game. Like this company knows how to play the system. Then the states are ok with this. From New York alone Jpay is expected 8.8 million dollars. How is this even possible? In my opinion this has more to do with politics than anything. Just to make a quick buck out of every misfortunate person they can. I agree with Indiana on banning colored paper due to it being able to be soaked in drugs and only using journal paper like everyone else does. With all this going on I believe that we should just stick with lined paper and white envelopes to nullify the monopoly of the prison system. -RollForInitiative711
ReplyDeleteI don’t agree with JPay way of making their money. Inmates are struggling already as it is from being in prison to not being able to experience life the right way and with love ones. JPay is taking money away from prisoners that barely have money. They're charging people to stay in connect with their loves ones basically making it an option. Either they connect someone or et because what if they only have enough money on their books to eat but not that extra 24 cent or whatever to make that 20min call or that one email. I don't think jpay should have been apart of the jail system because its slowly ripping families apart more than it already is. Here’s someone mom thinking their son/daughter isn’t connecting them calling them or emailing them because they don't want to talk to them but really it's because that prisoner doesn't have any money to do so but neither do they have anyway to communicate that to their parents so their parents take it a different way so they don’t put money on their books. There’s million ways to make money and i don’t investing into the jail system in the way wrong should be an option. That's putting money into jails to make more jails. We should be doing anything in our power to get jails out of business and less inmates inside. I read a article about how most homeless people were formerly incarcerated. The money they’re putting into JPay they can put into a program or some type of housing for the homeless. Money is put into all the wrong places for the wrong reason and wrong people. Instead of building golf courses where there's already golf courts it should be shelter homes where there’s no shelters homes at all. Do more for the people in NEED! KenzieLand711
ReplyDeleteIn my response I mentioned how it is immoral to allow private companies to profit off of prisons so I totally agree with you about how there is money being put into wrong places. Until we can do that I'm afraid we'll continue to see more and more people incarcerated for petty crimes because hey, there's money to be made! It's really quite sad that there are people who are so shameless they would charge someone that much money to speak to a loved one, even if they are in prison. I get that it's meant to be a punishment but how far do we need to go?
DeleteAvatar711
Let’s just start off with the “model” of these businesses. It says, “Whatever it costs to send a message, prisoners and their families will find a way to pay it.” Not that it concerns or affects me, but in my opinion, something like this is ridiculous. Jpay is only doing this to simply make money it seems like. I can see maybe having the inmates have to pay some money if they want to contact others outside of the prison, but to make their friends and family members have to pay money to send them an email is just unnecessary. Why should they be punished for wanting to talk to their friend, son, or brother or sister? I think that you should be able to send the inmate a letter if you want to send them a letter. Jpay is making millions of dollars off of these people who simply just want to talk to their family members or friends, and in my opinion it is a little selfish. From a business standpoint of the jails, I can see how it makes sense when the article says that the jails make about five cents per message sent, equalling about 710,000 dollars a year. That is a lot of money that the jail could use for a lot of different things, but do they really need the money? Jails get money from taxes to take care of a lot of the things that they need to keep the place up and running and feeding and housing the inmates. Do they really need to take more of the families money just because they want to send an email? In the article it says “Prisoner advocates say that services providing email services to correctional facilities are simply following the same price-gouging formula.” It does not take two postage stamps to send a picture in the mail. You could send ten pictures in an envelope and it still only cost one stamp. I can understand that the prices may kind of be the same but I myself would rather see the prisons themselves getting the money for things rather than some outside company just trying to make money off of these people. -Steel711
ReplyDeleteI agree with you entirely. Jails and prisons are a big scam for the people who want to talk to their loved ones. I feel like thats why a lot of people quit talking to their loved ones in jail because its so expensive. I don't think people should have to pay to talk to their loved ones like i pay 6-8 dollars for one 15 mins phone which is beyond crazy. I def do feel you on the part when you said why do the love one have to punished because it def feel like you are being punished having to pay money just to talk to a loved one. Some jails make people pay 6 dollars for visits which is even more crazy because why do you have to pay to see your loved one considering you already had to drive there or find a ride there. -JollyRancher711
DeleteSteel I agree with your standpoint on how the prison using this for a financial gain, which I agree is "selfish" of the prison and JPay. Making the families pay for this service is unfair just like you said do they really need this money, I do agree that yes who wouldn't want to add more money to their check every month but if they think of what it doing to the family of the prisoner.
Delete- Z33 711
Okay, this topic I can relate to sad to say. I deal with a boy that is in peoria county and they have no new technology there what so ever all they have is a phone call that cost roughly 6 dollars for 15 mins. My other friend is locked up in Woodford county and they give their inmates tablets. On the tablets they can listen to music, watch movies, text, watch podcasts and read books. However, it cost to text people. If I remember correctly you can send 300 messages for 20 dollars and 30 dollars for 400 messages and 1000 messages for 50 dollars and that is a monthly fee and you are able to cancel you membership at anytime. I think the new high tech devices some jails are getting are cool, it allow the inmates to feel like they are still in the world rather than being so disconnected from the world. I think having the option to send an email to your loved one in jail is better than sending a letter considering the fact it take days before your loved get the letter then days for you to get a letter back. In my opinion anything is better than sending a letter. I think the prices for the stamp is a little pricey but jail isn't meant to be cheap. I feel like he got a great mom who would go across water for him. She skipped out on a bill send her son something most moms like my mom would not of did that. My mom would have told me all she got enough money for is bills and I would have to wait till she get more money. I don't feel like he should have got 30 years though considering he was only 17 years old I feel like they just threw away that little boy whole life. I do feel like if people want to send a post card through mail they should be able to some people aren't up too date with jpay or other technology which is why I think they should be able to do it the old school way -JollyRancher711
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, today technology is so different and difficult. They come up with these new devices and new updates that’s it can be default to use and what is someone grandma wanted to send them a letter, they should be able to. I believe the types of communication should go both ways. -Babyblue711
DeleteReading this article really kind of made my blood boil. It sickens me to think there are companies out there shamelessly taking advantage of an extremely vulnerable population (not that it’s a surprise to me by any means, this is just another in a long list sadly.) Personally I feel profiting off of prisons is immoral and things like communication should really be handled and regulated by the government in charge of that prison and not left to the whims of a private company. I know the idea of tax money going towards inmates having better access to phones or internet might rub some the wrong way but I think it’s crucial in today's society to stay connected to what’s going on in the outside world. Plus I would imagine it is incredibly difficult to rehabilitate when you are constantly stressed about either having to pay more than you can afford to speak to a loved one or even worse not being able to speak to anyone on the outside at all...Imagine what that would do to someone's psyche. And I imagine the cost of providing inmates with better tools for outside assimilation would be offset by the savings we would have from having a less incarcerated population. Obviously I don’t think providing internet and phones will single handedly fix our criminal justice system but I do believe treating inmates more like humans rather than animals will in the long run be more beneficial to society. The fact companies like JPay even exist is indicative of how we as a country tend to favor profits above all else. I see this problem only getting worse if we continue to let private companies continue to do the job of our government in order to profit rather than to serve to the population.
ReplyDeleteAvatar711
I definitely agree to that. It is more of a worry with money and a how can I afford to talk to my loved one this week. Not all people with family in prison are going to have the funds to constantly be throwing into the prisons pocket. More than likely they will have to cut back on how many times they can talk to loved ones due to the prices of the interactions, transitioning money and phone calls. I see some of our peers first hand could have to go through this and I feel for them. I do not have family incarcerated but If I did I could tell you I could not constantly afford to talk to them like I would wish. $18 for a phone call is some people's last money out of their paycheck. That could almost fill up some cars gas wise. I think Jones' story was one that bothered many and there are not enough stories out there from families' side for JPay but it sounds like it makes their lives more difficult especially if a family is not tech savvy. -notacop911711
DeleteI feel like the JPay is kind of a good idea only because of the amount of money. I know that when people are in prison you have to have some money on their books to be able to do certain things. As I was reading it mention the amount of money it takes to do certain things. I quote “Each “stamp” covers only one page of writing. Want to send photos of a nephew’s graduation, a niece’s prom dress or a new baby? Each picture costs an additional stamp. A short video clips? That’ll be three stamps. With the postal service”. I know before the JPay it was if having a local number for the inmate to call will save $0.15 per minute or $2.25 per 15-minute call. I feel like the JPay is more reasonable and cheap way tom communicate to your love ones. The story about Jones made it think about the cons of JPay. I say this because, she really wanted to send her son a surprise grit but couldn’t because of JPay. Sometimes some physical means a lot to someone who can even see or touch things out of prison or jail. Not being able to send things to them that they may keep for yours may be a bad feeling to them because it could keep their head up. Either way it goes both communications can go a long way with someone behind bars. -Babyblue711
ReplyDeleteWe live in a world where we are blessed and cursed to have advanced technology. We rely heavily on the advanced technology that we have. I believe having a system like JPay, where inmates are able to e-message is a good idea because it is then easier to keep in contact with their family and friends. Therefore, before they get released they can make some sort of arrangements of where they can stay or even possibly have a job set up so they are able to get back on their feet and start making right choices. But then you could run into the problem where some inmates contacts either don’t have access to a smart device or they are too old to know how they work to be able to contact them. I do believe that the e-messages should cost money just like the real mail and they should also be a reward. The inmates should have to earn their way to be able to use them. They also need to be monitored. Having the kiosks can cause issues because of all the inmates wanting to use them all at the same time and having people cut lines could cause fights to happen. But I also don’t think each and every inmate should get their own tablet. Some of them probably have never even gotten the chance to use one before because they don’t have access or the resources. Also, the inmates having access to their own tablets can cause issues like trying to escape or try to cause other issues within the prison or outside in the real world. I do believe that JPay should keep the prices the same as the stamps on postal mail. They should not be any cheaper or more expensive. The inmates need to prove that they have deserved this and have worked hard to earn being able to talk to loved ones.
ReplyDeleteProbdrinkingStar$’s711
I agree that our age of technology is vastly growing and that it is also a curse and a blessing. I do also think Jpay is also a good concept but the part I do not like about Jpay is the pricing and how it is turning the whole idea on letters and throwing them into a garbage bin. We should be allowed to send letter to our loved one’s without having them or us to pay more to speak with them for a shorter length and get less out as we want. When we have much longer times to think like writing a letter we can say everything and anything we need to just give our loved one’s the knowledge of what is going on in our homes or cities and states. -MyHandle711
DeleteI think it is absolutely ridiculous how much money this monopoly Jpay is making out of just an hour of messaging or even in certain cases just a single message. I think it should be stopped. Just let them send and receive letters. The prisoners will have hours to right what they need into a letter but paying a ridiculous fee just to use Jpay for a single hour is outrageous. Like this 17 year old that has to serve 30 years can not receive any letters from his family because of a monopoly making it so he is forced into using Jpay to speak or have contact with his family. As we all know someone in prison, I just feel like they are most likely already dealing with such a hard place and then these monopolies walk in and make you have to pay so much more just to send messages to your family. I absolutely hate how there are times placed on how long you are allowed to send messages to family like go back in the 90’s and you would have a letter filled to the absolute maximum and it could have so much more meaning, for example in my possession have a letter from vietnam and the letter is completely filled to the brim in the regular style of writing front and back but also if you turn it sideways it is filled sideways front and back as well. Something like this does not take an hour, it would take more like 3-4 hours based on the depth of thought put into what is being sent. I feel very strong on this subject because these families are being basically scammed of their hard earned money just to speak to loved ones and they should not be getting played by monopolies like this. -MyHandle711
ReplyDeleteI agree with the point you made about times with the phone calls. You don't get to see them very much so it’s nice to talk to them for a while. Only being able to talk to them for a few minutes every once in a while would be really hard. I also agree with the point you made about families being scammed. The fact that they have to pay to talk to their family members is kind of sad because being it’s hard enough being financially stable today. -SOCCER31
DeleteFirst, I would like to say inmates in prison is someone else’s mother, father, cousin, brother, sister, aunt, uncle, etc. No matter what crime they have committed. I believe that JPay has its advantages and its disadvantages, for example in prison I believe that having a good support is good to have because it can keep your head on straight and keep you in a good place not only mentally, but also physically. Also, it helps family members that’s on the outside who unfortunately aren’t able to make it out on special occasions such big holidays or even birthdays who doesn’t line up with the specifics inmates visitation days, so JPay always the family to send an electronic email to let the specific inmate know that at least they thought of them, which is a small thing, but to inmates the little means the most to them. When there’s so good there can also be some bad around the corner so, when you think about inmates being able to communicate with the outside on a constant basis electronically you start to think depending on the individual and the crime in which he committed, will he be able to try and finish business that was involved in the crime, or simply be able to send out information that he learns from the inside to the outside that can make matters a whole lot worse if people was to find out and even if he was receiving information from the outside in and handing business for people on the outside potentially being a “hitman” for someone on the outside. If think about it, it’s really not a bad gig because its not costing any tax payer extra money so if we are already spending 40,000 dollars a year for one inmate to be in solitary confinement why not help make sure if they ever get out they have at least a family to go to.
ReplyDeleteStatechamp711
I agree with you that families aren't always to make it on special occasions so mailing a card or hearing their voice means alot when your on the inside. Having a good support system goes a long way and it means alot that people on the outside still care about you when they’re incarcerated. We as taxpayers do pay a lot of money to house them so we should help make sure they have a family to go home to. However i feel jpay puts a dent in that because not everyone has many to put money on the phones or jpay.~Justice711
DeleteI don't really agree with JPay and I didnt know that this was happening in some of the prisons. I think it’s just a way of making more money but they limited the chances of the inmates communicating with their families even more. The inmates don't make very much money at all so this makes it even harder for them to stay connected with their families. I don't like how the family members that are not incarcerated have to pay for stamps in order for them to send things. There are inmates that have disabilities that might prevent them from working and it’s not right that they cant talk to their families because of the cost of JPay or the cost of phone calls. I also thought this was wrong when the article said that “the more ways prisoners are cut off from communicating with their families, the better it is for business.”. Cutting inmates off from their families just so the business can be successful is completely wrong. I think that eighteen dollars for a twenty minute phone call is very expensive for an inmate because they don't make very much at all. Inmates usually earn twenty to ninety five cents per hour and that’s a very small amount of money. I feel like inmates should not have to pay to talk to their families. Keeping them from talking to their families when they don't have enough money seems wrong. I thought it was kind of sad when Jones couldn't send an actual birthday card to her son. Sending a birthday card through an email isn't really the same. Sometimes when inmates get cards, it makes their day better. Sometimes when the inmates look at the cards, it makes them feel happy. Some inmates probably look forward to getting a card from their families because they know that the family is thinking of them. -SOCCER31
ReplyDeleteI do agree that Jplay is making the connection between the families and them easier however they are making way to much off of that. I think that the stamps are a little excessive and the fees to make the transaction or extremely high and should be lowered.Its crazy the amount of money they are making off of them just because they know the family and loved ones will do pay anything to make that connection with them. When hearing that JPay reported a revenue of $30.4 million, and three years later, its revenue had more than doubled to $70.4 million.With many prisons getting a 5 cent commision per message, prison systems that use JPay stand to collect $710,000 on e-messages alone.This information is intense, it's kind of sad that they are taking advantage of the situation but at the same time the people are serving time, it shouldn't be a place with a lot of privileges. So I definitely see how it's helping the prison because it cost nothing to the prisons and the prisoners get to make contact just at an annoying high price and many people in there can't afford anything anyway and the jobs in prison they make cents an hour so it's expensive to them. With all that being said I feel like they have the right to charge the amount they do for the inmate but the fee for the transaction is a little ridiculous. -pizz711
ReplyDeleteThis article is actually pretty devastating. I could not imagine being a parent or child of someone in prison and I cannot send home-written cards and pictures all because a prison chose to adopt a system they thought would be beneficial for families and the inmates. That means that the 6 year old little girl whose daddy is in prison cannot receive her handwritten card and drawing. What about families that do not have technology? Not everyone has a tablet or laptop or even money for one. Families that are expected to follow the JPay system, are more than likely already trying their best to put money into the prisoners account to help feed them and give them extra room in prison to not feel like they have nothing. The fact that this also costs as much as it does, it is not effective. It is an innovative idea but it is not a positive thing and in prisons, positive things come by slim. They are not helping the prisoners by any means. I absolutely could not imagine this happening within my family. It needs to be treated as a big deal. This is not in the prisoners best interest and to help them, it is because more money will come by for the prison if they do this. They know people are not just going to give up and if they really love their family member who is incarcerated then they will pay pretty much whatever they can to have contact and remain that contact with them. It cost little to nothing for the prison. Granted, overall it makes it easier, If I was locked up, I would take a picture my child drove over a little stamp she had to pick from. $18 for a twenty minute phone call is revolting as well. -notacop911711
ReplyDeleteYou made a really good argument and I totally agree with what you stated "Not everyone has a tablet or laptop or even money for one. Families that are expected to follow the JPay system are more than likely already trying their best to put money into the prisoners account to help feed them and give them extra room in prison to not feel like they have nothing." Just as you said if there is a family member in prison that family is probably already likely to be rough on cash. I think that the whole system is just ridiculous. I could understand making just the inmate pay (seeing that that money probably already comes from family of the prisoner), but making the family pay is honestly just being selfish. I would rather get a card from a daughter than a flat email, but prisons will do what prisons do to feed off of a family's (not just the inmate) money. -tanlion_nala711
DeleteJpay, the whole idea makes sense but I don’t understand one thing, why make the family pay to send a message as well? We hear the phrase “make a phone call” or “(insert amount) per minute clock is ticking.” Those make sense for inmates to have to pay because they are within their total institution. I feel like it is unnecessary for JPay to go both ways when it comes to paying. I understand there may be discounts on holidays and though the cost for a stamp is small...it adds up. From thirty-seven cents back up to forty-one cents after a holiday. Though I believe that the biggest con to JPay is that family has to pay to send as well, there are pros as well. For example, being able to send at least a one page email to a family member. Though it may be one page, it means a lot to send just a few words. Another pro would be things like seeing pictures or videos. It could be something as small as a new pet (I think people would save money just talking about the pet rather than saving a picture) or seeing your daughter’s prom dress, seeing your baby boy or girl, etc. Videos are even better because even though you cannot physically see a person, it will give you a sense that they are there with you. JPay is closed off to just a small array of possibilities; I do think that it is better than nothing.
ReplyDelete-tanlion_nala711
I honestly think jpay is just a way to get the families out of more money. Families should be able to mail a card without it been electronic. I also feel that with jpay it stops some inmates from talking with their love ones. Not everyone has money to constantly put money on jpay plus commissary.Then the calls don’t be long enough. Low income families already struggle, so why should they have to struggle even more to talk to their love ones. Stamps should also not cost more to purchase they should b the same price. Not all prisoners are incarcerated for selfless crimes many are in their because they needed a way to support their families, now they can’t even talk to them. Then when they call one may or may not answering so they are still using their money and it’s not fair at all. Jpay is just another lazy way to get money out of people.~Justice711
ReplyDeleteFrom an open minded and neutral perspective I can see where the jpay is a smart and convenient idea from the prisons prospective. It cost the prisons nothing. Cost effectively, than the prison staff doesn’t have to go through nearly as much prisoner mail saving valuable dollars. As the article stated whether it be the prisoner or the family they always seem to come up with the amount being charged. Unfortunately the larger electronic communication avenues are not available in the prison system so jpay and similar companies can set the monetary value for their services. I don’t necessarily agree with the fluctuation of the stamp prices or the unregulated price changes. Although communication pricing can mirror fuel pricing because of the limited salaries of prisoners and their families salaries control should be put in place so price gouging is eliminated. Just like with tornadoes, hurricanes and other natural disasters. As the article states the only other option for communication is via telephone. Although the most personal because it is voice on voice it is not as practical as being able to sit down at a computer screen to express your feelings. But on the other hand the bottom line is these people are experiencing the cost of communicating with family members, the high costs because they chose to break the law like the article states to the free world there is yahoo, gmail, facebook, etc once we break the law and become incarcerated we now have to live with the rules and regs of the penal system. Unfortunately for the prisoner they are forced to pay a substantial rate because the prison themselves can not afford to pick up the tap for electronic communication for the prisoners and their families ( the prisons systems view not my circus not my money when it comes to picking up the tab for prisoners communication with their family members.)
ReplyDelete-mmmChicken711
What I got from this article was that Jpay and all of this electronic stuff is just making it more difficult for prisoners to communicate with the outside world and their families. They claim that it is more convenient and easier but with the prices they charge and the way they seem to do things it sounds more like a pain. I agree that in order for prisoners to use technology and get special privileges they should have to work for it and have to earn it. I’m all for that but the fact that they are making it so difficult for the families is something I don’t get. It seems to me that Jpay is just another company that is making easy money in a big way. And the prison systems too. I found it interesting that some of the prisons are making a one cent commission off of each phone call or video call. Hopefully all that is going towards the prison and improvements. Another thing that doesn't sit well with me is the fact that the prices are always changing and fluctuating. To me they should just have it on a set price and call it good. They already know they are going to make money anyway so they might as well just leave it at that and call it good. And yes I realize that at the end of the day these are inmates and that they are in there for a reason. But bottom line is to me it seems like this system makes it harder for the family than it does for the prisoner. IceT711
ReplyDeleteI believe companies, such as JPay, are using low crime prisoners to their advantage, such as if someone is there for a small crime and is only gonna be in prison for a year and they want to stay in contact with families or friends, they are able to charge them for paying a ridiculous amount of money, I know 30-40 cents doesn't sound a lot but for someone working in prison who only make roughly 20-95 cents per hour that is a ton of money. Prisoners who want to stay in contact with their families are having to work about 8 hours just to get about 3 emails (including pictures) to their families, But I believe that the prisoner's families shouldn't have to pay the fee for them to send an email to their loved one. I do like the idea of every prisoner getting their own tablet causing the line for the kiosk to lower down and decrease the number of fights and arguments about cutting in line. The price of the tablet in my eyes are reasonable because Tablets are not cheap to make and if they are giving someone an electronic who, such as, broke into someone's house and smashed everything who is saying that they wouldn't do it to the prisons stuff? I do believe that a prisoner talking to his/her family is therapeutic and would help rehabilitate the prisoner but this doesn't apply to everyone. I do agree with www.wired.com about how Jade Trombetta asked why do they increase the price of email stamps during specific times of the year, I believe that they do this because during, such as, Christmastime because families will want to send pictures and wish their loved ones a Merry Christmas and remind that they are loved which in return has a good influence on the prisoners mental health. Overall the article is correct on the point that JPay is making families harder to communicate inside of systems.
ReplyDelete-z33 711
I totally agree with what your saying about if they did a low crime and arent in jail for that long. They should be able to talk to their loved ones without paying so much. I also think that the prices for the tablets are a little expensive but they do come in handy when talking about making the line for the kiosk shorter. -ny711
DeleteI think Jpay is not a good idea and there is no point in doing it. People in prision already go through a lot and making them worry about how they are going to talk to loved ones is hard. Sending letters and getting stmaps for the letters seem a little expensive. But making a phone call is a lot more money. A lot of the inmates do not have money of their own. I think people in prision for minor crimes should be able to just get on the phone and call thier loved ones.There shouldnt be a fee. Its already hard for the inmates because they cant recieve letters or pictures from their family. Which if they could recieve those things it would probably make they feel more at home and it could also keep them updated on whats going on in their famlies life. I also think that how you can only send letters on certian papers and send certian size pictures is ridiculous. What if what your family has to talk about is longer than a page? Also, in the article it states “ And, with prisoners typically earning 20 cents to 95 cents an hour in jobs behind bars, the cost of keeping in touch most likely falls to family members and friends.” That shows how the inmates dont have enough money for calls and letters especially if they have to pay for their own toiletries and snacks. But on the other hand if you are in jail for more severe crimes you should have to earn to be able to talk on the phone or send letters. Therefore, it should be cheaper for inmates to communicate with loved ones. I think that Jpay isnt the best idea and maybe one day there will be a better system. -ny711
ReplyDeletethe article is very interesting
Deletethe phone system in todays prisons were for a very long time quite expensive which caused a lot of prisoners the unfortunate situation of not being allowed to contact loved ones,The calls were in the range of $25 to $30 dollars per thirty minute call depending on what facility you were housed and where you were calling,if the prison was close to where you were calling it could be a little less but still to high for local rates.The prison industry had private companies in which you were forced to accept their phone service,so if you had another phone service such as ATNT who rates may be cheaper it didn't matter you still had to use the company the prison had their contract with!! The prison system is an industry in itself and to be contracted under private phone companys is only an extra burden on familys of the incarcerated ,so it's just not costing the prisoner but the families who suffer from this 'HUSTLE'but just recently due to a lawsuit being filed by prisoners and The Mcarthur Law Center an advocate for prisoners rights group the phone calls in Illinois is at the lowest they bhave been in over a decade the phone industry now who the prisons are contacted under is called 'Securus'and the rates for all calls are an amazingly one cent per minute!! so this will now allow inmates who at times could not reach out to their loved ones can perhaps now afford to conversate with friends and family and loved ones and there are guys who have not spoken to anyone in their family since being sent to prison!! but now can call without the worries of it's cost to their loved ones .The prison system unfortunately may not realize the significance of this. this can be a valuable option in keeping chaos down at the prison when a person who is already under stress being able to call on someone is very important to a person and of course it gives the family of prisoners a much better chance to communicate with their loved ones and for those who may have never been able to conversate with family and friends this was definitely an outstanding gift for those individuals and their loved ones .... warhogg711
DeleteI agree that not charging so much could posibbly decrease the fact that cell phones are being smuggled in prison of course some may just enjoy or want the leisury of having it but I do believe had the rates not been as high it would've mattered, but as far as the comment that if people would live within the law they would not be subject to the outrageous secondary companies well even though its a common saying it is true that everyone incarcerated are not guilty and some in prison for a crime committed that should not even warrant prison such as driving on suspended to get to work or stealing out a grocery store to simply eat and the guy who bust a window to gain shelter in prison there are so many 'crimes'society sends people to prison for when they need help or in some minds are justified but even for those that deserve to be in prison fair is fair and the rates for a simple phone call was and in some places just outrageous!!!! lawhogg71
ReplyDeleteI agree that not charging so much could posibbly decrease the fact that cell phones are being smuggled in prison of course some may just enjoy or want the leisury of having it but I do believe had the rates not been as high it would've mattered, but as far as the comment that if people would live within the law they would not be subject to the outrageous secondary companies well even though its a common saying it is true that everyone incarcerated are not guilty and some in prison for a crime committed that should not even warrant prison such as driving on suspended to get to work or stealing out a grocery store to simply eat and the guy who bust a window to gain shelter in prison there are so many 'crimes'society sends people to prison for when they need help or in some minds are justified but even for those that deserve to be in prison fair is fair and the rates for a simple phone call was and in some places just outrageous!!!! lawhogg71
ReplyDeletethe phone system in todays prisons were for a very long time quite expensive which caused a lot of prisoners the unfortunate situation of not being allowed to contact loved ones,The calls were in the range of $25 to $30 dollars per thirty minute call depending on what facility you were housed and where you were calling,if the prison was close to where you were calling it could be a little less but still to high for local rates.The prison industry had private companies in which you were forced to accept their phone service,so if you had another phone service such as ATNT who rates may be cheaper it didn't matter you still had to use the company the prison had their contract with!! The prison system is an industry in itself and to be contracted under private phone companys is only an extra burden on familys of the incarcerated ,so it's just not costing the prisoner but the families who suffer from this 'HUSTLE'but just recently due to a lawsuit being filed by prisoners and The Mcarthur Law Center an advocate for prisoners rights group the phone calls in Illinois is at the lowest they bhave been in over a decade the phone industry now who the prisons are contacted under is called 'Securus'and the rates for all calls are an amazingly one cent per minute!! so this will now allow inmates who at times could not reach out to their loved ones can perhaps now afford to conversate with friends and family and loved ones and there are guys who have not spoken to anyone in their family since being sent to prison!! but now can call without the worries of it's cost to their loved ones .The prison system unfortunately may not realize the significance of this. this can be a valuable option in keeping chaos down at the prison when a person who is already under stress being able to call on someone is very important to a person and of course it gives the family of prisoners a much better chance to communicate with their loved ones and for those who may have never been able to conversate with family and friends this was definitely an outstanding gift for those individuals and their loved ones …
ReplyDeletelawhogg711
After reading this i was completely in shock, i didn’t realize that you have to pay to communicate with people while you are in prison. I was aware that you have to buy stamps to send letters and cards but that is it. I understand that with the way technology advancing that this probably makes it easier for the workers to read the letters and make sure everyone is talking about what they should be but the fact that they are making so much money off of it is ridiculous. For the family having a loved one in prison is stressful already so I’m sure if your already struggling to talk to someone with writing and the expenses with stamps and for the inmate to buy paper, pens, stamps now you have to worry about purchasing a tablet and everything else it could be extremely overwhelming and depressing. I understand that they put their self in prison and thats the reason why they are dealing with these issues but i feel like if you want someone to turn around and make a change that would be very hard to do if your not able to talk to your family or if your making it hard for them to, because if your lonely your going to be depressed and thats only going to make things worse. In my opinion Jpay should be an option but like any other technology it will take over and like they said it eventually will be the only way. I also feel like receiving a birthday card or holiday card on a device is nothing like receiving it in the mail, I’m sure a lot of prisoners look forward to that one time a year when they get an actual card hand picked by someone they love and they are able to keep it to read it whenever they want. Getting a card over the internet just seems kind of careless to me. Even a letter when you read a letter someone wrote you know they took the time to sit and think what they want to sat to you , not like the internet where you can just type a few sentences and be done.
ReplyDeletemomx3