Elizabeth Warren weighs in on Connecticut prison-call debate

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Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., a presidential candidate, weighed in on the debate among lawmakers in Hartford on whether to make phone calls free for inmates in state prisons.

A bill to make calls free is pending in committee in the state legislature, and Warren gave her endorsement of the proposal on Twitter.

Warren Tweeted Saturday: “Incarcerated Americans shouldn’t have to pay to talk to the people they love. I stand with the activists in Connecticut who are working to make prison calls free.”

According to sponsors of the bill, Connecticut currently ranks 49th in the country, second only to Arkansas, in the costs imposed on making a phone call from prison. A 15-minute call can run nearly $5, in addition to fees imposed for depositing money into prepaid accounts.

If the bill passes, the state would have to assume the cost of providing phone service to inmates, and that cost has generated opposition among some lawmakers.

The Warren tweet prompted a discussion on Twitter, with 1,000 comments registered. A number of posters took issue with Warren’s recommendation of the legislation.

“I respectfully disagree. Anyone convicted of a crime and is sent to jail/prison should lose all privileges while incarcerated. We shouldn’t have to pay any more than we already do,” wrote on opponent of the free-call legislation.

Another Twitter commenter supported Warren’s endorsement: “The sentence is jail time. Any further punishment on top of that is to dehumanize. What other purpose does it serve?”

Elected to the Senate in 2012, Warren is running for the presidency in a crowded field of Democratic challengers.