As a wife, a mother, and a loved one to someone currently incarcerated, I see first-hand the heartbreaking toll and stress the cost of communication has on both families and inmates in Wyoming's correctional facilities. Even for us, a low-income family living paycheck to paycheck, the struggle to maintain that important contact -- to remind our loved ones that they are not forgotten and that we still care despite circumstances -- is overshadowed by the overwhelming costs.

The exorbitant rates, approximately $4.25 for a twenty-minute local call and roughly $6.25 for fifteen minutes of video visitation, place an enormous burden on families like mine, especially when we are already grappling with daily survival. The situation is exacerbated for me being disabled, battling physical limitations alongside financial stress. 

Loved ones incarcerated need our emotional connection to help their well-being and support a constructive path. Studies prove that maintaining family contact during imprisonment reduces recidivism, enhancing prisoner's reentry into society (The VERA Institute of Justice, 2017)'. Given that inmates who maintain outside contact are 13% less likely to be reconvicted once released (National Institute of Justice), it is crucial to underline the societal benefits of making these calls cost-free. Reduced recidivism means safer communities and lower state expenditure for maintaining prisons.

This simple act can bring considerable positive impact, not only to the inmates but also to society as a whole. 

This petition calls not just on behalf of me, a mother, a wife, but echoing the similar unseen struggles of countless families across Wyoming. The high cost of communication with those behind bars has to be eliminated. It is a strain on families that can be avoided, an injustice that needs correction. Please support our plea to make all phone and video calls from Wyoming's jails and prisons free. We insist that Wyoming's Department of Corrections and local County Jails tackle this pressing issue immediately for the betterment of many lives in the State. Please sign this petition: your voice counts, your support matters.