When people ask who makes money off prisons, our number one answers goes to the people running the phone system. On this episode, we explain how the prison phones operate, who runs them, and who ends up paying the tab (it might be you!).

About Securus:
https://securustech.online/

The Texas Tribune article about prison phones:
https://www.texastribune.org/2011/01/12/prison-phones-generate-less-money-than-hoped/#:~:text=Credit%3A%20Todd%20Wiseman-,Texas%20prisoners%20have%20made%20and%20received%20more%20than%204.7%20million,phone%20and%20e%2Dmail%20access.

The positive impacts of contact from loved ones while people are incarcerated:
https://www.prisonpolicy.org/blog/2021/12/21/family_contact/#:~:text=Consistent%20phone%20calls%20to%20family%20improve%20relationships&text=As%20with%20visitation%2C%20family%20phone,odds%20of%20returning%20to%20prison.

More about The Shakedown at: https://shakedown.show
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More about Nina the Pitbull at: @nina_is_a_pitbull
Ryan/Rainforest on IG: @lorax4life
Malone on IG: @they_call_me_malone
Dave on IG: @sociallydistorted1

00:00 - Start
00:12 - Introductions
00:34 - Today's topic: The Phones in Prisons
00:58 - Why talk about prison phones
05:00 - Dave's history of prison phones
06:22 - The disadvantages of phones in prisons
07:28 - How many facilities have Securus
11:28 - Where do inmate cell phones come from?
12:17 - Getting phones n medium custody
14:40 - Who owns Securus?
15:19 - Securus' value and the year it skyrocketed
16:22 - Guess who owns JPay (and profits off all inmate's communication from loved ones in most states)
17:05 - Who makes money off of prisons?
18:16 - The argument for and against getting rid of physical mail in prisons
21:20 - Prison contraband even during COVID
22:09 - How charging for phone calls and searching mail increasing recidivism
25:36 - Why prison phone calls should be free

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