New Illinois pilot program offers free phone calls at prisons

The Illinois Department of Corrections launched a new pilot program this week that provides free phone calls to people in custody across its 25 state correctional facilities, aimed at fostering positive change and potentially reducing recidivism.

Starting Monday, each prisoner received 775 free domestic phone call minutes per month, roughly $6.20 in calling time credited to phone accounts, as part of the department’s broader push to expand affordable communication. The pilot, called Voices of Connection, costs roughly $150,000 per month from the IDOC’s general operating budget.

Using tablets from ICSolutions, a company that provides telecommunication and technology services to correctional facilities, inmates can make calls directly through a dialer app when connected to Wi-Fi. The tablets are not designed to be used for messaging or accessing entertainment content.

Those under phone privilege restrictions will not be able to place free phone calls. Participants can use their minutes for domestic calls or international ones at adjusted rates. Unused minutes won’t roll over, but the department may reallocate funds unspent during the pilot period.

“Phone calls and real-time conversations are essential for maintaining meaningful connections with loved ones,” Department of Corrections Director Latoya Hughes said in a press release. “We’re ensuring that individuals in custody have consistent access to free phone minutes, making it easier to engage in the conversations that support emotional well-being, strengthen relationships, and promote rehabilitation.”

The program arrives shortly after the Federal Communications Commission, which sets caps on correctional facilities phone rates, voted last month to raise the caps, in some cases doubling them.

The pilot includes an initial daily limit of 15 calls per person, though either tablets or wall phones, to ensure the system is not overloaded. Each call is limited to 20 minutes with a 10-minute lockout period between calls.

“Consistent communication is essential to successful reunification,” lllinois First Lady MK Pritzker said in a press release. “Ensuring regular access to contact families for all individuals in custody is imperative, as robust communication channels are foundational to rebuilding familial ties.”

The Department of Corrections plans to monitor the program for potential expansion until its scheduled end next June.