The data comes from the Prison Policy Institutes’ report: State of Phone Justice: Local jails, state prisons and private phone providers.
Here is the data per state, followed by the facilities in each state with the highest rates:
| State | Highest cost of a 15 minute in-state call from a jail (2018) | Average cost of a 15 minute in-state call from a jail (2018) | Cost of a 15 minute in-state call from a state prison (2018) | How many times higher the average jail rate is compared to the state prison's rate |
| Alabama | $4.20 | $3.55 | $3.34 | 1.1 |
| Arizona | $9.75 | $4.33 | $3.34 | 1.3 |
| Arkansas | $24.82 | $14.49 | $4.80 | 3.0 |
| California | $17.80 | $5.70 | $2.03 | 2.8 |
| Colorado | $14.85 | $6.50 | $1.80 | 3.6 |
| Florida | $8.45 | $4.19 | $2.10 | 2.0 |
| Georgia | $4.50 | $2.59 | $2.40 | 1.1 |
| Idaho | $17.25 | $5.19 | $1.65 | 3.1 |
| Illinois | $15.52 | $7.11 | $0.14 | 52.7 |
| Indiana | $15.15 | $6.31 | $3.60 | 1.8 |
| Iowa | $14.10 | $7.03 | $1.65 | 4.3 |
| Kansas | $18.62 | $8.49 | $2.70 | 3.1 |
| Kentucky | $11.30 | $5.81 | $3.15 | 1.8 |
| Louisiana | $3.75 | $3.53 | $3.15 | 1.1 |
| Maine | $6.23 | $4.26 | $1.35 | 3.2 |
| Maryland | $6.00 | $3.03 | $0.52 | 5.8 |
| Massachusetts | $6.15 | $4.22 | $1.50 | 2.8 |
| Michigan | $22.56 | $12.03 | $2.40 | 5.0 |
| Minnesota | $12.02 | $7.19 | $0.75 | 9.6 |
| Mississippi | $7.84 | $5.64 | $0.59 | 9.6 |
| Missouri | $20.12 | $6.90 | $0.75 | 9.2 |
| Montana | $14.68 | $9.24 | $2.15 | 4.3 |
| Nebraska | $15.80 | $8.02 | $0.94 | 8.5 |
| Nevada | $14.25 | $5.43 | $1.65 | 3.3 |
| New Hampshire | $8.27 | $4.63 | $0.20 | 23.2 |
| New Jersey | $6.65 | $1.26 | $0.66 | 1.9 |
| New Mexico | $2.25 | $2.04 | $1.20 | 1.7 |
| New York | $9.95 | $7.79 | $0.65 | 12.0 |
| North Carolina | $12.00 | $4.82 | $1.50 | 3.2 |
| North Dakota | $12.00 | $7.62 | $1.19 | 6.4 |
| Ohio | $5.40 | $3.18 | $0.75 | 4.2 |
| Oklahoma | $18.87 | $6.34 | $3.00 | 2.1 |
| Oregon | $15.75 | $4.42 | $2.40 | 1.8 |
| Pennsylvania | $12.20 | $3.95 | $0.89 | 4.4 |
| South Carolina | $8.25 | $5.72 | $0.83 | 6.9 |
| South Dakota | $10.19 | $7.11 | $1.20 | 5.9 |
| Tennessee | $14.29 | $4.72 | $2.40 | 2.0 |
| Texas | $17.25 | $6.53 | $0.90 | 7.3 |
| Utah | $15.06 | $5.64 | $2.85 | 2.0 |
| Virginia | $14.65 | $4.51 | $0.61 | 7.4 |
| Washington | $17.35 | $5.93 | $1.65 | 3.6 |
| West Virginia | $1.80 | $1.56 | $0.48 | 3.3 |
| Wisconsin | $21.97 | $7.99 | $1.80 | 4.4 |
| Wyoming | $14.22 | $7.77 | $1.65 | 4.7 |
And now for the jails with the highest rates in each state in 2018:
| e | Facility(s) with the highest rate | Cost of a 15 minute in-state call (2018) |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Coffee County Jail | $4.20 |
| Arizona | Colorado River Indian Tribes Detention, Hualapai Adult Detention Center, White Mountain Apache Corrections Center | $9.75 |
| Arkansas | Arkansas County Jail, Baxter County Sheriff's Office, Mississippi County Detention Center | $24.82 |
| California | Lassen County Jail - All Locations | $17.80 |
| Colorado | Arapahoe County Detention Center | $14.85 |
| Florida | Jackson County Jail | $8.45 |
| Georgia | Calhoun County | $4.50 |
| Idaho | Lewis County Sheriff's Office | $17.25 |
| Illinois | Pike County Jail | $15.52 |
| Indiana | Lagrange County Sheriff's Dept, Morgan County Jail | $15.15 |
| Iowa | Bremer County Sheriff's Dept | $14.10 |
| Kansas | Labette County Jail | $18.62 |
| Kentucky | Henderson County | $11.30 |
| Louisiana | Acadia Parish (Ally), Allen Parish Jail, Ascension Parish Jail, Assumption Parish Detention Center, Beauregard Parish Jail, Bogalusa City Jail, Caddo Parish Juvenile, Calcasieu Parish Sheriff, Cameron Parish Jail, Cedarwood Manor Women's, Christian Acres Juvenile Youth Center, Eunice City Jail, Evangeline Parish Sheriff, Grant Parish Detention Facility, Jefferson Parish (Gretna), Lafayette Parish Corrections, Leesville County Jail, Lt Sherman Walker Correctional Facility, Morehouse Parish - All Locations, Morgan City Jail, Natchitoches Parish Work Center, Nelson Coleman Correctional Center (St. Charles), Opelousas City Jail, Orleans Parish - All Locations, Plaquemines Parish Detention Center, Rapides Parish Detention Center, St James Parish Jail, St John the Baptist Parish Jail, St Landry Parish, St Martin Parish Correctional Center, St Mary Parish Law Enforcement Center, Tangipahoa Parish Jail, Terrebonne Parish - All Locations, Vermillion Parish Sheriff's Department, Washington Parish, West Baton Rouge Correctional Facility, West Feliciana Parish Jail | $3.75 |
| Maine | Franklin County Jail, Knox County Jail, Oxford County Jail, Penobscot County Jail, Piscataquis County Jail, Waldo County Jail, York County Jail | $6.23 |
| Maryland | Allegany County Detention Center, Calvert County Detention Center, Garrett County | $6.00 |
| Massachusetts | Berkshire County House Of Corrections, Franklin County Jail | $6.15 |
| Michigan | Benzie County Sheriff's Dept, Roscommon County Jail | $22.56 |
| Minnesota | Goodhue Sheriff's Dept | $12.02 |
| Mississippi | Hancock County Adult Detention Center | $7.84 |
| Missouri | Jennings Adult Correctional Facility | $20.12 |
| Montana | Pondera County Sheriff's Dept | $14.68 |
| Nebraska | Hall County | $15.80 |
| Nevada | Elko County Sheriff's Office | $14.25 |
| New Hampshire | Rockingham County | $8.27 |
| New Jersey | Salem County NJ-Correctional Facility | $2.85 |
| New Mexico | Chaves County Adult Detention Center, Crownpoint District Dept of Corrections, Curry County Detention Center, De Baca County Detention Center, Dona Ana County Detention Center, Grant County Jail, Hidalgo County Detention Center, Luna County NM-Detention Center, McKinley County Jail, Otero County - All Locations, Pueblo of Laguna Detention Facility, Quay County Detention Center, Rio Arriba County Detention Facility - JSI, Roosevelt County Adult Detention Center, San Juan County Adult Detention Center, San Miguel County Detention Center, Shiprock District Department of Corrections, Taos County Adult Detention Center, Vigil Maldonado Detention Center, Zuni Department of Corrections | $2.25 |
| New York | Allegany County Jail, Broome County Jail, Cattaraugus County Jail, Cayuga County Jail, Chautauqua County Jail, Chenango County Jail, Cortland County Jail, Delaware County Jail, Dutchess County Jail, Genesee County Jail, Herkimer County Jail, Jefferson County Jail, Lewis County Jail, Livingston County Jail, Madison County Jail, Monroe County - All Locations, Nassau County Correctional Center, Niagara County Jail, Oneida County Jail, Onondaga County Jail, Orange County Jail, Oswego County Jail, Otsego County Jail, Putnam County Jail, Rockland County Jail, Schuyler County Jail, Seneca County Jail, St. Lawrence County Jail, Steuben County Jail, Sullivan County Jail, Tioga County Jail, Tompkins County Jail, Wayne County Jail, Westchester County Jail, Wyoming County Jail, Yates County Jail | $9.95 |
| North Carolina | Alexander County Jail NC | $12.00 |
| North Dakota | Cass County Sheriff's Office | $12.00 |
| Ohio | Parma Heights City Jail, Richmond Heights City Jail | $5.40 |
| Oklahoma | Cherokee County Jail, Jackson County Law Enforcement Center | $18.87 |
| Oregon | Benton County Jail, Josephine County Jail | $15.75 |
| Pennsylvania | Wyoming County Correctional Facility | $12.20 |
| South Carolina | McCormick County Sheriff's Office, Newberry County Detention Center | $8.25 |
| South Dakota | Codington County Jail | $10.19 |
| Tennessee | Carroll County Jail | $14.29 |
| Texas | City of Lewisville | $17.25 |
| Utah | Millard County Jail | $15.06 |
| Virginia | Lebanon Community Correctional Center | $14.65 |
| Washington | Thurston County Juvenile Facility | $17.35 |
| West Virginia | West Virginia Regional Jail Authority - All Locations | $1.80 |
| Wisconsin | Columbia County Jail | $21.97 |
| Wyoming | Hot Springs County Detention Center, Weston County Detention Center | $14.22 |
Summary of the Report
The cost of phone calls for incarcerated individuals in the U.S. remains exorbitantly high, especially in jails, despite overall progress in reducing rates for state prisons.
This is largely due to predatory contracts between jails and phone service providers, who offer jails a share of the revenue in exchange for allowing high call rates.
Key Points:
- Disparities in Call Costs: While the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has capped rates for out-of-state calls and reduced fees in state prisons, jails—particularly those run by local governments—still charge excessive rates, often over $1 per minute.
- Impact on Incarcerated Individuals: Most people in jails are pretrial detainees who have not been convicted of a crime. High call costs make it harder for them to contact family, legal counsel, or secure bail, putting them at risk of job loss, housing insecurity, and family separation.
- Cost Differences: A 15-minute call from jail averages $5.74, over three times the cost in a state prison. Some jails charge up to $22 per call, while prisons in states like Illinois have negotiated rates as low as $0.14 per minute.
- Hidden Fees & Market Exploitation: Providers impose additional fees, such as payment processing charges, which can inflate costs by 40%. Some companies receive kickbacks from money transfer services like Western Union and MoneyGram, exploiting poor families who lack banking access.
- Monopoly & Market Manipulation: The industry is dominated by a few companies (e.g., Securus, GTL), which limit competition through mergers and bundled contracts that restrict jails’ ability to negotiate better deals.
- Solutions & Recommendations: Experts call for prohibiting commission-based contracts, enforcing lower rates and fee regulations, and even making jail calls free (as New York City has done). There is also a push for state legislatures, the FCC, and Congress to take stronger regulatory action.
You can read the full report here.
Y.D. Robinson says
This is approximately how much regular households used to have to pay for 15-minute phone conversations decades ago!