Freedom on the line

In New South Wales, a 10-minute phone call from prison costs $2.59. For incarcerated individuals who can earn as little as $16–$18 per week, this means one call can cost over 15% of their total weekly income (The Greens NSW, 2023).

This pricing model, introduced after the NSW Government scrapped a subsidised phone call system in mid-2023, disproportionately affects people who are already system impacted (The Greens NSW, 2023). It cuts incarcerated people off from their loved ones, their communities, and vital support systems, all while undermining rehabilitation.

Freedom on the Line is a campaign to abolish the cost of calls in NSW facilities, beginning with free calls to verified family and kinship networks. We believe that connection is a right, not a privilege.

• Costs: Since the removal of subsidised calling, phone charges have become unaffordable. A single 10-minute call costs nearly $3 (The Greens NSW, 2023). This affects those on the inside and their families, who often need to send money just so their loved ones can stay in touch.

• Calls are charged on both phones and tablets: In NSW, personal calls made via both the traditional prison phone system and the newer in-cell tablets are charged. Tablet users also pay an additional $2 monthly device fee, deducted from their call balance (NSW Parliament Questions on Notice, 2023).

• Disconnection: Research, particularly focused on criminalised women, shows that maintaining contact with family and community while in prison lowers the risk of reoffending and improves reintegration outcomes (Barrick, Lattimore & Visher, 2014). For children and young people, while not a core determinant, contact with incarcerated parents is a key protective factor that can disrupt cycles of intergenerational incarceration (Bugmy Bar Book, 2024).

• Corporate contractors profit: The Offender Telephone System (OTS) in NSW is operated by Telstra under a contract, alongside Ericom and U.S. based Global Tel Link (GTL) (Correctional News, 2019). Previous reporting estimated the contract at $44.6 million. 

• Children, young people and families bear the brunt: The high cost of calls places an undue financial burden on families, particularly those with children. Maintaining regular contact is crucial for the emotional well-being of children with incarcerated parents, yet the expense often forces families to choose between communication and other necessities.

Maintaining regular contact with family is not a luxury, it’s a core part of rehabilitation and emotional wellbeing.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, video visitation was rapidly introduced across Australian prisons to preserve connection. The infrastructure and capability already exist, but the political will to fund and protect connection in the long term is missing.

In Victoria, the cost of mobile phone calls from prison was more than halved in February 2025, following years of advocacy led by VACRO in coalition with families, community advocates, and adjacent organisations. While the calls are not yet free, the Victorian Government now subsidises the cost, bringing the price of a 12-minute call down from $6.84 to $3.00.

VACRO continues to call for the full funding of all prison phone calls, in line with global shifts recognising that connection is a right, not a commodity (VACRO Media Release, February 2025).

NSW now lags behind, and at great cost. Removing subsidised calling here effectively punished families, many of whom are already navigating systemic disadvantage.

“We know that meaningful connection during a prison sentence makes reoffending less likely, because nobody can get their life back on track without the love and support of family and community. Access to free and secure calls will improve and literally save lives.”
— About Time Campaign (About Time, 2023)

Corrective Services NSW’s own 2021 Research Strategy commits to using digital technology to enhance rehabilitation and support family connection. The current policy, outlined here, already contains the structure and approaches for telecommunication inside NSW facilities. 

With the right investment, NSW could adopt an improved model today, one that aligns with what's right and evidence.

Freedom on the Line is collective campaign led by Yung Prodigy, a youth-led grassroots organisation working with young people impacted by parental incarceration.

We are building a broad coalition of families, community organisations, legal advocates, justice reformers and abolitionists to demand an end to call charges in NSW prisons. 

We call on the NSW Government to:

1. Provide an unlimited number of free phone calls to nominated numbers from prisons across the state.
2. Increase the availability of devices to meet demand for connection. If availability is increased, there is no credible need for a time limit on calls.

This launch marks the beginning of Freedom on the Line, and we’re proud to begin this journey with a soft launch on Mother’s Day 2025. This moment has been intentionally chosen in solidarity with VACRO and supporting organisations that have long advocated for change, and to honour the strength of mothers, caregivers, and matriarchs who hold families together across prison walls. On a day that celebrates nurturing, connection and resilience, we want to spotlight the injustice of phone call pricing and the urgent need for change.

From Mother’s Day 2025, we will have:

• 📜 Released an open letter addressed to NSW Ministers and the Commissioner of Corrective Services, endorsed by a broad coalition of justice, legal and advocacy organisations.
• 📱 Launched a social media campaign designed to inform, educate, and mobilise community, on platforms where they are most likely to engage.
• 💌 Distributed a newsletter to our community of supporters, allies and subscribers with key information and calls to action.
• 🌐 Published this webpage as the central hub for campaign updates, resources, and information. This is a space to stay informed and get involved.

We’re just getting started. Over the coming months, we’ll be building out the next phase of Freedom on the Line through:

• 🧰 A Campaign Toolkit to equip supporters, organisations and community advocates with everything they need to take action - from posters to talking points.
• ✍🏾 A Petition that calls on decision makers to ensure all calls to approved kinship contacts are free, for sentenced and unsentenced individuals.
• 🎙️ A Storytelling Series released across our social platforms, centring the lived experiences of those impacted by incarceration, disconnection and systemic injustice.
• 📚 Advocacy Materials and Resources for people who want to organise in their communities, engage MPs, or better understand the intersection of incarceration, inequality and communication rights.