🚀 go-pugleaf

    Since telephone deregulation, telephone companies can change their
long distance rates pretty much at will, and the upper limit is quite
high.
Last year, I had a client in jail in Cobb county Georgia, who made
several
telephone calls to me from jail.  I had no real idea how much they were
going to cost, and I was outraged when the bill totalled $370. give or
take.  The rate was
up to about $1.75 per minute.  The provider was Talton Communications in
Selma Alabama, whom I called, and who told me that the rates were
legal.  They also told me that they were merely collecting for
BellSouth, who owned the phones and had the arrangement with the jail.
BellSouth denied this.  They were both right.
The actual owner was BellSouthPublic Communications, which, it turns
out, is a
wholly owned subsidiary of guess who.  These rates take advantage of
people who are already at a great disadvantage, people who need to talk
to their families and their attorneys.  It is part of a callous abuse of
power, ripping off the least powerful
to the greatest extent.  Nor is it easy to get to the bottom of the
racket.  I spent hours on the phone last summer, and more hours today
before I finally got to a
human  ? voice at BS Public Com'ns.  Even there, the man refused to tell
me if the
phone in the Cobb county jail was theirs.  But since Talton says it is,
my bet is it is.
IMHO, a sorrier set of SOB's you can't find in this country.
    In Alabama, there is an alternative, even if it piggy backs on
BellSouth.  State
Communications, 1-800-210-9524 has solicited us, and we are going with
them.
Everything will be the same, only the bill will be less.
Roger Alexander