Michigan's St. Clair and Genesee counties are in hot water with allegations flying that they've cashed in on the misery of inmates and their families by cutting off in-person jail visits and exploiting them with costly video calls. In explosive lawsuits firing up the courts, these counties are accused of doing shady deals with telecom companies Securus and Global Tel*Link (GTL) to fill their coffers, CBS Detroit reports. According to the plaintiffs, the move isn't about boosting security or tackling contraband, but about lining pockets with a share of the profits—50% of a steep $12.99 fee for every 20-minute video call in St. Clair, while Genesee gets its cut from $10 chats.
Families are being forced to fork over their hard-earned cash to maintain even a semblance of contact with their incarcerated loved ones, the lawsuits allege. Kids like 12-year-old M.M., as per CBS Detroit, who haven't been able to hug their parents in months, are the real victims here. The lawsuits argue that this heartless policy is a deep dig at their constitutional rights. According to an article in The Appeal, a Genesee County official once remarked with a certain cold calculation, that "a lot of people are going to swipe that Mastercard" to visit kin behind bars.
The legal battles wage on, with the Civil Rights Corps, a nonprofit, and other supporters pulling out the big guns in class-action lawsuits to restore those precious in-person visits. As claimed in a statement obtained by Reason, these policies impose “profound costs on families” without any real benefit to public safety. New York City, Los Angeles, and Massachusetts have already caught wind of such practices and stopped charging for jail calls, recognizing the basic human need for family connection.
Yet, despite the outcry and the potential legal ramifications, it seems for now the cash flow continues to fatten county wallets. A St. Clair County jail administrator reportedly reveled in their growing profits from video call money, which, according to documents discovered by Civil Rights Corps, went so far as to account for nearly a fifth of the budget in 2021. And back in Genesee, if the Sheriff's pockets aren't filled enough with cash revenue from video calls, GTL can pull the plug on the service, The Appeal notes. For now, Michigan families wait, wallets open and hearts heavy, as the law decides whether these profits were gained at too high a price.
