Attention all IPT Members:

[momm316]

I'm not much of a "lawsuit" person, but I bet if many of us ban together,
Consolidate will step up to the plate and  lower their prices.  It may take
something like a statewide telephone ban to accomplish this.  Does anybody
know anybody in management at Consolidated or in purchased services at
IDOC????  I would think if we have a contact there, we could do some
pretty serious negotiations for better prices.  What is the average cost of
a 30 minute phone call for everyone around the state?  Do we all pay the
same price or is it more for some?  What do out-of-state phone calls cost???
Let's make sure we go to whomever we approach with documentation of
the legitimacy of our complaints!!  Each time my son calls and we talk the
full thirty minutes, it coists us around $8.50 (I don't ahve th bill handy at he
moment)    So if my son calls three (sometimes it is more) a week and there
are four weeks in a month, it would cost approximatrely $102.  What does
everybody else pay???? 

Let me know what I can do to help organize this negotiations movement
with Consolidated.

Blessings,
Momm316

[Dazzler]

Momm, most of us instate pay approximately $10 per 30 minute call with all the taxes added on.  Out of staters pay on average $35 per 30 minute call....it's outrageous.

[Lissa]

Since I love to campaign let me know what I can do because these are outrageous costs.

[momm316]

$35 for out of staters...that is horrible.  I can remember back in the day before
unlimited cell phone calls, when I used to make long distance calls, it was usually
cheaper to call out of state than it was in state.  Sounds like Consolidated has a
very lucrative business going for themselves and IDOC at our expense.  Count me
in for some kind of action that will impress on these folks that they can't strong-
arm us just because we and our loved ones are IDOC captives.

Blessings,
Momm316

[walking_stick]

If you want to "email" the petition to all your friends for them to sign it the best way to do that is to email the link to the website asking them to go there and sign it there. thats been best for what i have seen in the past with stuff like that. &*&

[Dazzler]

Good idea w_s..... we need at least a thousand signatures before we approach a legislator...we've got about 800 now....10,000 would be nice but oh well, .

[Schrader42]

Dazz, I have several names that I want to include in the petition but no email address for them as they don't have any.  How can I get those names in?

[Dazzler]

You can add them to the petition with your own email address...however, you have to wait a while inbetween adding several names as the petition software won't allow multiple names to be added at once.

[jlnjy]

I thought of an idea to circulate petitions. For those of you that attend church or an organization, perhaps you could share the printed petition with them.

I thought of mailing the petition to area churches with a postage paid return envelope for signatures. You can purchase a postage paid envelope at the post office for 50cents or just place a 41cents stamp on an envelope you already have. Does anyone else think this is a good idea to try to get more signatures?

Also ...sometimes there are community cable channels that will advertise for free or low cost and/or a soapbox so to speak that someone can get on and speak about this. I understand that this method will only reach those that actually watch it but word of mouth will help travel to others.

JL

[Dazzler]

That's a great idea.  We have a lot of churches in our email contacts and they've been wonderful about helping with our causes.  I think you need to send the text of the petition also so they understand the problem.  Any publicity we can get from any source would be good.  We need the public to understand and support us when the time is right.  Family members have not committed any crime and they are being punished unjustly.

[jlnjy]

Yes, Dazzler .... I will send that the front page so they know what its about along with a letter asking to return in the postage paid envelope. I know its in my contract at my job not to circulate petitions but I can ask when we're off the clock ...I work in a small office but every signature helps.

[momm316]

I thought we signed a petition once before about Consolidated.  Was it
for something different? ....I'm all for a petition, but if we did one, maybe
we should come up with something different????

Momm316

[DELGGIRL]

Does this petition only apply to family and friend only or can inmates sign this petition also?

[Dazzler]

Anyone can sign this petition but the IDOC doesn't allow petitions of any kind to be circulated as far as I know.  If your inmates asks to sign the petition you add his name to the online petition.

[DELGGIRL]

What if an inmate just passed a sheet of paper around and had them put their names and had them sign it would that be okay to send that in? And would it be okay to put the address of where they are incarcerated at or should they put a family members address on that?

[Scout]

I wouldn't recommend this.  An inmate is not to have another inmate's information in their presence, that could result in a ticket and/or seg time, as could circulating a petition.

[Favored23]

DAZ

I HAVE COPIES OF MY CONSOLIDATED PHONE BILLS (LAST 4 MONTH), I KNOW WE WERE GOING TO START A FILE FOR THEM.  WHERE SHOULD I SEND THEM?  DO YOU NEED ME TO HELP KEEP TRACK OF EVERYONES, THEY CAN JUST EMIAL THEM TO ME AND BLACK OUT THE PERSONAL INFORMATION ON THEM?  LET ME KNOW ANYWAY I CAN HELP.

LETS DO THIS THING!

[jiinxxss]

hey all -

I am SO FURIOUS with this telephone crap - I paid an additional $300 for a deposit so that S (name removed by adm) is able to call whenever he wants - and this was done on Thursday as I was leaving Centralia - so that he could call me over the weekend...and today when he called - they wouldn't allow it through - and they are closed until Monday!  This crap is so unbelivable!  We have got to do something about this - already signed the petition - but what exactly is being done to resolve this issue? 

Even when you call - it takes forever to get through to them - and then they say it matters not that your phone bill is paid - they have their limit from the first to the first - argggggggggggggggggggggg I am so ********. (sorry venting here - Dazzler - is anything being done about this?)


jiinxxss
 

[Schrader42]

I wouldn't recommend this.  An inmate is not to have another inmate's information in their presence, that could result in a ticket and/or seg time, as could circulating a petition.

I asked my husband on Valentine's Day the same question about circulating a petition and he too said, it can not only mean seg time but a valid reason for a transfer.  There is a word he used that describes this activity but forgot...it didn't sound nice either.  Take Scout's advice and don't have an inmate start out a petition.

[jiinxxss]

Momm, most of us instate pay approximately $10 per 30 minute call with all the taxes added on.  Out of staters pay on average $35 per 30 minute call....it's outrageous.

As being one of those out of staters - Let me tell you how much this is costing......last months bill for only but 36 minutes = $148!  on top my regular bill!