Comments on: Captive Audience: How Companies Make Millions Charging Prisoners to Send An Email

By: Gerald

Gerald — Mon, 06 Aug 2018 14:48:39 +0000

In reply to Nicholas Maietta. The prison "email" systems are not true email. They aren't delivered to the receiver's email account. The communication is done on the company's website. The inmates don't have an email address to send messages to. They can only write a message to a person who has registered them on an account. The receiver is then notified by email that an inmate has sent them a message, but you have to go and login to the company's site (JPAY in Michigan) in order to read the message.

By: Florida Action Committee

Florida Action Committee — Mon, 06 Aug 2018 10:43:55 +0000

In reply to Nicholas Maietta. I'm pretty certain that re-directs or forwarding are disallowed.

By: Nicholas Maietta

Nicholas Maietta — Sun, 05 Aug 2018 23:41:30 +0000

I am a software developer and had an idea on how to help reduce the cost for these inmates so instead of sending an email to every person they wish to contact, they’d instead just send one email with aliases descrety included in the message.

If someone such as myself setup an email system where each inmate is given an email address to send mailto, but then have aliases designated in the email itself with messages for each contained within then 1 email out could result in many emails being forwarded to the individual parties.

I would open source so anyone can use it.

Basically it would working like this:

Email to InmateID@someDomain.com

Hi Mom

I hope you are doing well. Blah, blah blah.

Hi Dad,

Could you start my car for me every two weeks, thanks.

Dear Brother,

Leave my XBOX alone.

It would take only a small code script to make this work and an email provider that supports passing email to a script. (Called an “email pipe”).

Each email would be stripped out of it’s block and sent as it’s own email from InmateID@someDomain.com direct to the email behind the alias. No two persons.

The configuration file would be something like:

Mom,\n = momsemail@domain.com
Dads,\n = dads@domain.com
Brother,\n = brother@domain.com

I can program it, but I don’t communicate with inmates or family members so I would not be able to advertise it. It would cost virtually nothing to setup and use.

By: Flcitzen

Flcitzen — Sat, 04 Aug 2018 17:59:45 +0000

In reply to Gerald. My question for everyone is these companies do not have a monopoly cause you do not have to use them but a convenience for people who would like it faster then the normal way. As someone who did 7 years in doc I wish we had emesaaging services. Our families are to busy to write snail mail alot of time. I currently write 8 people still on the inside with Jay messaging. I dont have the time or the effort and normally they get it the same day. The speed is way quicker then a 6 to 8 day turn around on snail mail. People that want to keep bringing down the stuff private companies are putting in our system that our state will not do or cant afford needs to spend a few months inside before they make there opinions.

By: Doug

Doug — Sat, 04 Aug 2018 13:34:41 +0000

I’m glad someone is bringing this to light. But, in a related matter, when is someone going to take on the companies that supply canteen items to jails and prisons. They are obviously a monopoly and guilty of blatant price gouging. In Florida many of their items are twice the price (and some four times the price) you would pay on the outside…i.e. a Ramen noodle soup, a staple for inmates, 27 cents at Wal Mart, 79 cents in prison. Since in Florida,where few inmates are able to earn any money, the cost of canteen items comes from families and friends. Inmates and families are being taken advantage of. Someone needs to address this.

By: Gerald

Gerald — Sat, 04 Aug 2018 13:12:14 +0000

I would also add that their “email” service is sometimes no faster than regular old snail mail, because prison employees have to read them for prohibited content first. The amount they charge you to send money to an inmate is outrageous. And when they screw up an inmate’s commissary order placed on their kiosk, it takes a long time for them to rectify it, if they bother trying at all. How they are assisting “in their overall rehabilitation process” is a mystery to me. Perhaps it teaches inmates to beware of corporate con artists once they get out.