Rhode Island General Laws Title 42. State Affairs and Government § 42-56-38.1. Prisoner telephone use

(a) When an inmate requests and receives a list of parties approved to receive telephone calls, the inmate shall be provided the option of using either a debit or collect call system to place such calls. Under the debit system, either the cost of such service shall be automatically deducted from the account maintained by the inmate for that purpose, or the inmate shall set aside money from his/her account to be placed in a prepaid telephone account.

(b) No telephone service provider shall charge a customer rate for calls made from a prison in excess of rates charged for comparable calls made in non-prison settings. All rates shall reflect the lowest reasonable cost to inmates and call recipients.

(c) No concessions agreements for inmate telephone calling services shall include provisions for a commission payable to the state, nor shall any correctional institution impose a surcharge for telephone usage by inmates in addition to the charges imposed by the telephone service provider.