Dec 22, 2022UCC Media Justice celebrates historic winPrison phone justice legislation passes Congress! The Martha Wright-Reed Just and Reasonable Communications Act of 2022, S. 1541 passed the Senate unanimously yesterday and was passed this morning on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives by voice vote. …Prison2 min readPrison2 min read
Nov 12, 2022End Predatory Costs of Communication for Incarcerated People, Support S. 1541 and H.R. 2489The cost of communicating with incarcerated people is often predatory and extractive. One in three families with an incarcerated loved one goes into debt trying to maintain contact. While some jails charge almost $17 for a 15-minute local call, others charge only 45 cents. …3 min read3 min read
May 17, 2022United Church of Christ Media Justice Ministry Joins National Effort to Demand Corporate Governance Reforms at Meta#MakeMarkListen Launches Ahead of Meta’s Annual General Meeting on May 24 — UCC Media Justice is joining a national effort to mobilize and rally support for corporate governance reforms at Meta in advance of the company’s annual general meeting next week. …Makemarklisten3 min readMakemarklisten3 min read
May 5, 20221–2–3 Low Cost Internet!The United Church of Christ Media Justice Ministry teamed up with our civil rights allies in 2021 and successfully persuaded Congress to adopt a new program that helps low-income households pay for high-speed internet. Now that Congress has acted, our biggest challenge is publicizing the program. Families and individuals need…Broadband4 min readBroadband4 min read
Mar 22, 2022Advocates Applaud the Advancement of Sen. Duckworth’s Legislation Restoring the FCC’s Full Authority to Address High Cost of Phone Calls for Incarcerated People and Their FamiliesWASHINGTON — On Tuesday, the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee moved the Martha Wright-Reed Just and Reasonable Communications Act of 2021 (S. 1541) out of committee after a markup. Introduced last year by Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D–Illinois), the bill advanced with an amendment agreed to by prison phone justice…Prison6 min readPrison6 min read
Sep 23, 2021Love Your Neighbors: Get Them Internet!The United Church of Christ’s media justice ministry is participating in a week-long effort to ensure that low-income families and individuals are taking advantage of a new program offering them a $50 discount per month for home internet ($75 on tribal lands). The new program, called the Emergency Broadband Benefit…Broadband4 min readBroadband4 min read
Sep 14, 2021Parker Lecture, 2001 — A RecollectionA guest post from former UCC OC Inc. Executive Director, Rev. Robert Chase — On September 25, 2001 — just two weeks after the horror of 9/11 — OC, Inc. hosted the annual Everett C. Parker Lecture, with National Public Radio’s Scott Simon delivering the keynote. …9115 min read9115 min read
Jun 24, 2021Get $50/month off BroadbandAfter months of advocacy last year, Congress adopted a $3.2 billion program to give low-income families and individuals a discount of $50 (and $75 on tribal land) per month off their broadband costs. …Internet3 min readInternet3 min read
Jun 2, 2021How a New Federal Program Is Helping More People Get Connected to BroadbandBy Cheryl A. Leanza, United Church of Christ’s media justice ministry, OC Inc., and Olivia Wein, National Consumer Law Center Cross-posted with The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and the National Consumer Law Center. More than one year into the COVID-19 pandemic, one thing is certain: Our lives…Broadband4 min readBroadband4 min read
May 11, 2021Prison and Jail Phone Justice Advocates Welcome FCC’s Proposed Changes to Rate Caps, Fees, and Clarification of Rights for People with Disabilities, Urge Speedy Additional ActionThe announcement represents an important step forward, securing greater communications access for incarcerated people, but more is still needed. WASHINGTON (May 4, 2021) — Today, civil rights leaders and advocacy organizations working across various issues in criminal legal and prison reform came together to offer their reactions to the Federal…Prison Reform6 min readPrison Reform6 min read
