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> Prisons like the Maryland facility featured in the hit podcast “Serial” sign exclusive contracts with companies like Global Tel-Link, and receive a cut of the proceeds from each call, creating an incentive to raise rates as much as possible.

Cause the prison makes $$$.

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Also because, they say, there are costs to the prison in having phones including monitoring to make sure prisoners aren't breaking any laws.

I think these costs should be a cost of doing business as a prison, whereas they consider it should be "user pays".

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