For the dozens of children currently separated from their families while awaiting trial inside the Shelby County Juvenile Court and Detention Center, the cost of calling home often presents a barrier to keeping in touch with their parents.

But soon, that barrier will no longer exist.

After renegotiating the county’s contract with phone service provider GTL, Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris has taken steps, alongside Commissioner Tami Sawyer, to make calls free between juvenile detainees and their parents or guardians, a spokesperson told The Commercial Appeal. A formal announcement is expected Monday.

The news comes in the wake of The CA’s investigation into the county’s contract with GTL, which brings $1 million in revenue to county coffers per year — through exorbitant rates charged the families of inmates at four different county lock-ups.

Calls from the juvenile detention center represented a negligible portion of that revenue last year — $4,200. But for low-income families, the fees translate to often insurmountable financial stress.

Citing a $3 cost per call, Shaun Taylor of Collierville said he struggles to keep in touch with his 17-year-old son, whom he says is awaiting trial for theft.

“I wish I could talk to him every day. But I can’t,” said Taylor, who was turned away from seeing his son after a security guard said the young detainee wasn’t currently allowed visitors.

“I’d feel more at peace if I could talk to him and know that he's OK— to just hear his voice on the phone,” said Taylor.

Antoinette Kirby, a Frayser resident, agrees that the change can’t come soon enough. She says she can’t afford to fund her 15-year-old daughter’s phone account, let alone consider the cost of bond or a lawyer, which might have let the girl await trial at home for the past month, instead of in lockup.

“That’ll help us ease our mind a lot,” she said of free phone access. “I’m on a fixed income, so it’s very hard for me.”

'We'll see this conversation continue'

For County Commissioner Tami Sawyer, chair of the Law Enforcement, Courts and Corrections committee, the phone reform represents the onset of a new era in county contracting.

“I am elated that we are able to do this for kids and families," Sawyer said.

"It goes towards how we’re humanizing criminal justice in Memphis, so that kids can not succumb to depression or isolation and continue to stay in touch with their families — which is a big part of reducing recidivism,” Sawyer added, referencing the abundance of research that shows strong family relationship dramatically reduce the likelihood a person will re-offend.

And, this reform is only a beginning, says Sawyer, who’s currently reviewing contracts for the food and goods sold to inmates at a markup in jail commissaries.

“As we give out money, we’ll expect people not to turn around and make extra money off the families of inmates,” she said. “We’ll see this conversation continue."

That's an important point for many Shelby County families whose children are over 18 or whose loved ones are not their children. As currently structured, the change to free calls only applies to juveniles and their parents or guardians.

"I think it to ought to be free for everybody," said Randy Letcher, whose 25-year-old daughter has been awaiting trial on drug charges at the Shelby County Jail East Women's Facility since August. He wishes he could afford to talk to her on the phone every day, given an open heart surgery she had within the last year.

Artez Campell's 16-year-old brother is also currently locked up on a non-violent drug offense. “It would mean a lot to me if I could talk to him on the phone,” Campbell said, after being turned away from visiting his brother by a security guard who said he wasn't on the visitation list.

"It would make me feel a lot better," he said, "knowing that he’s safe."

A campaign promise made and kept

Even as a partial amendment to the county contract, the shift to free calls for juveniles puts Memphis ahead of the curve, alongside only New York City, as cities where at least some inmates have free phone access.

As for what will come next, county Mayor Lee Harris echoed Commissioner Sawyer's sentiments.

“This is a great first step in improving the circumstances for juveniles in the justice system,” Harris said in a statement.

The move also represents a campaign promise made that's beginning to be kept. "I’m not going to support the fleecing of anybody, particularly with the stamp of government — even prisoners," Harris said during his candidacy.

"That contract will be cancelled if I get a chance," he said of exorbitant phone fees. "That's an easy one."

Reach Sarah Macaraeg at sarah.macaraeg@commercialappeal.com or 901-426-4357 and on Twitter @seramak.

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