On February 19, call, email, and tweet the Ministry of the Solicitor General Sylvia Jones, and your local Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) to let them know our demands:

1. Free phone calls for prisoners;
2. The ability for prisoners to call cell phones and switchboards; and
3. No more time limits on jail phone calls.

What you can do to help: Let Ontario’s government know that you want them to stop putting profit over people and change the prison phone contract before it expires this summer.

CALL, EMAIL, & TWEET:

• Ministry of the Solicitor General’s Office: (416) 326-5000 - Twitter: @ONsafety
• MPP Sylvia Jones’ Constituency Office: (519) 941-7751 - Twitter: @SylviaJonesMPP
• Call your MPP: https://eregistration.elections.on.ca/en/election/search
• Send a quick email to the Solicitor General and your MPP: www.cp-ep.org/prison-phones

Remember to hashtag #ONpoli #BellLetsTalk #FreeJailCalls #BellLetUsTalk #CrisisInCorrections BellLetsTalkPIC / prison industrial complex

RSVP on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/196091704838848/

DON'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY? FOLLOW THIS SCRIPT:

“Hello, I am calling to speak with [Minister Sylvia Jones/your MPP],

My name is [your name or pseudonym], and I am from [your city in Ontario]. With the upcoming end of your prison phone contract with Bell, I am calling to demand the following:

1. Free phone calls for prisoners;
2. The ability for prisoners to call cell phones and switchboards; and
3. No more time limits on jail phone calls.

[Minister Sylvia Jones/your MPP’s name], prisoners are dying from suicide and inadequate support under YOUR custody. The phone is a lifeline for those inside. It is their connection to their loved ones, to mental health and health supports, care providers, to lawyers, and to other community supports. And because of your exploitative contract with Bell, you are not only preventing prisoners from accessing support, but actively worsening their physical and mental health and profiting from it.

This is why we demand you make calls in prisons FREE, without limits, and able to reach cellphones and switchboards.

As my representative, you are accountable to listen and act on concerns."

ABOUT THE CAMPAIGN:

On #BellLetsTalk day in 2019, a protest, video, and social media campaign based in Ottawa was organized demanding changes to the prison phone contract between Bell Canada and the Ontario Ministry of Solicitor General. For the 2020 edition, organizers from Toronto joined and expanded the effort to put the pressure on Bell and the Ministry. In recent weeks, more than 6000 people have signed petitions supporting our demands for change. As support for the campaign for phone justice in Ontario's jails grows, now is the time to ramp-up the pressure on the Ontario government.

We know that when prisoners and their families are forced to pay Bell up to $30 for a 20-minute call just to talk, the Ministry receives a portion of the profit. Prisoners can only place calls to landlines (no cell phones or switchboards), and calls are cut off automatically after 20 minutes.

This year, we demand a better deal for our communities. Join us in the fight for access to communication for prisoners, their families, and our communities!

Thanks for your help, and please stay tuned for further actions.