Several telephone companies that serve prisons are facing a lawsu...

suit, has petitioned the FCC to ban such call routing services, which the company said threaten security and public safety (CD Sept 2 p5). The Millicorp suit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida sought $75,000 in damages, plus declaratory and injunctive relief. Millicorp alleged that Securus, Global Tel Link, T-Netix and Evercom Systems committed common law tortious interference and civil conspiracy to commit tortious interference when they blocked calls to ConsCallHome. The telcos’ actions violate the 1934 Communications Act and 1996 Telecom Act, as well as various state unfair and deceptive trade practices acts and consumer protection laws, Millicorp said. “What we are trying to do is provide a cost effective solution for family members whose loved ones are incarcerated,” President Timothy Meade said. “Paying upwards of $20 for a 15 minute phone call is a burden that our customers just cannot afford. The prison telephone providers are, as our lawsuit explains, simply put, not only inappropriately blocking these calls but they are also taking outrageous advantage of this targeted group of people with their monopolistic practices.” Stephanie Joyce, an Arent Fox attorney representing Securus, said the lawsuit is “wholly without merit.”