One of the most important things an incarcerated individual can have is a connection to the world outside. During COVID, the price of stamps were reduced to make it easier for inmates to stay in touch with their families and friends. Today the price of those stamps has nearly doubled. 

Contact with family and friends can greatly influence the overall mood of an inmate. They are isolated, deprived, and cut off from the world they knew before incarceration. Regardless of the crime committed, they still deserve to maintain the connection to their families and friends. Regular letters can take days or weeks to reach them. While it provides some support, and something to look forward to, messaging is most the time immediately available. If they need someone to talk to, they can reach out and get support almost immediately. 

If the prison system is concerned about the recidivism rate, then they should also be aware that in order to maintain a life outside of prison, a person needs support. It's very easy for families to lose track of their loved ones in prison, due to the fact that they can't afford to pay for phone calls, or have the time to sit and write a letter, then find the time to mail it. The inmate becomes "out of sight, out of mind". We need to avoid this at all costs. We must maintain these relationships. Increasing pricing on any form of communication needs to stop. They are paid pennies a day, and most can't get jobs due to the work being limited inside the prison. That leaves even the ones working the inability to afford communication. Then the cost falls on the family of their incarcerated loved one. Many of us are already struggling to afford our own necessities, and struggle to maintain the relationship between us and our loved ones due to cost. Therefore the inmates lose that communication, causing them to act out in frustration. They can't be expected to sit on their beds for most the hours of the day with no connection to the outside world. They are already going to struggle with the lack of assistance and programs on release. At least if they have maintained communication while incarcerated, they have support both inside, and once released.