Pierce County Jail

Telephones

Interview with Ryan, Alex and George

JM: Did you have regular access to telephones?
Ryan: YES
Alex: Yes WHEN THEY WERE WORKING. They didn't seem to be in a rush to fix them if they weren't. There are 6 telephones per tier and at any given time, only about half were in working condition. With 42 men on a tier and a 20 minute time limit per call, it was sometimes a full day before you could make a call. Better hope someone's there to answer.
George: YES

JM: What types of charges applied for calling people?
Ryan: COLLECT CALLS ONLY
Alex: It was $3.95 plus .20 per minute. I ran up a $800 phone bill.
George: COLLECT

JM: Did you need to buy phone cards to call out?
Ryan: NO
Alex: No phone cards were available.
George: NO

JM: Did the jail screen your calls?
Ryan: YES
Alex: YES. No, there wasn't a guard actually there but when you place your call, an automated voice tells you that all calls are recorded and screened.
George: YES