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Many of our friends in the Oregon Prison System are very concerned about a proposed rules change about prisoner telephone use. The proposed rules change effects the way prisoners can make calls, who they can call, and how many people they can call; amongst other things. Sources tell us that that this is a reincarnation of a previous unpopular rules change attempt which was soundly defeated by a prisoner telephone strike. We are asking for your help in letting the Oregon Department of Corrections (ODOC) know how we feel about this restriction on Oregon prisoner’s lives.

Unfortunately, the deadline for comment is July 18th. We need you to call, email and fax NOW. The contact information is listed below. Please do what you can, and do it often. Let’s impress upon the prison bureaucrats that they will have to deal with us before they attempt to screw more with the prisoners.

Please send us any responses you get from the ODOC.

Thanks,
Friends of Jeff `Free’ Luers

——-
Department of Corrections
Chapter 291

Stat. Auth.: ORS 179.040, 423.020, 423.030 & 423.075
Stats. Implemented: ORS 179.040, 423.020, 423.030 &
423.075
Proposed Adoptions: 291-130-0011, 291-130-0080
Proposed Amendments: 291-130-0005, 291-130-0006,
291-130-0020, 291-130-0030,
291-130-0050, 291-130-0060
Proposed Repeals: 291-130-0010, 291-130-0070
Proposed Ren. & Amends: 291-130-0040 to 291-130-0016

Last Date for Comment: 7-18-05

Summary: The department has upgraded its inmate telephone system to provide for advances in technology. The upgrade changes the way in which inmates may access and use the new telephone system. These rule modifications are necessary to establish new standards governing the
use of the telephones by inmates.

Rules Coordinator: Janet R. Worley
janet.r.worley@doc.state.or.us
or
janet.worley@doc.state.or.us
Department of Corrections
2575 Center St. NE
Salem, OR 97301-4667
Telephone: (503) 945-0933
This is the general fax and email for ODOC. If you get the above person’s email, please send it to us.
DOC.Info@doc.state.or.us 
Fax:503-947-1034

Problems with these proposed rules changes-

You can view a pdf of these proposed changes at
http://www.oregon.gov/DOC/INSPEC/rules_policies/docs/telephones.pdf
or http://www.freefreenow.org/telephones.pdf

1 – Access to Directory Assistance will be denied.- It’s stricken from page 1 under procedures and page 3.

2 – Limiting of authorized calls to 40 I believe this started at 25 which was a big concern to incarcerated people in the strike. In the old system, there was a list of people an incarcerated person was prohibited to call – like victims or victims families. You could call
anyone who would accept a collect call. The subsections of (2) limit how a person can add and subtract names to the list. You can make 5 changes once a month and you’re limited to a total of 40 changes a year. This definitely limits an incarcerated person’s ability to call
out. For example, if someone wanted to call a non-profit – they’d have to find the phone number (and could no longer use directory assistance), fill out the form to add it to their 40 number list, submit it once a month, and wait for it to be added.

3 – The phone company can impose a minimum deposit amount Another possible problem on page 2 is subsection B. There’s no restriction to what the thieves that prey off prisoners at the phone company can set as the minimum amount in their phone accounts. What if you had to have
$100? I think you could still make the collect calls, you just couldn’t make debit calls & the whole movement in support of debit calls is to help calls be made more affordable.