‘Bell Let’s Talk Day does not include prisoners’, advocates say

Bell Canada’s prison phone contract is up for renewal this June which the prisoners’ rights activists are working to eliminate.

By Jasmine Afnan Al-kholani

Originally written on February 1st, 2020

Bell Canada limiting inmates’ outgoing calls to landline users only affects their mental health as they cannot get in contact with their lawyers and family, said advocates at a Toronto prisoners’ rights forum.

Moka Dawkins, a transgender human rights activist, said that when she was incarcerated, it caused her mental distress when she realized that none of the phone numbers she had was a landline.

“That’s just ridiculous. Who has a house phone? How are you really supposed to get in contact with people when you need help?” said Dawkins.

According to Statistics Canada, a monthly landline phone bill in 2017 came up to an average of $25.25 which many cannot afford to pay on top of their monthly mobile bill of an average of $101.

A panel held this Wednesday by the Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy (CSSDP) discussed the struggles of The Offenders Telephone Management System, a contract between

Bell Canada and the Ontario Ministry of the Solicitor General, which prevents prisoners from contacting those without a landline.

Due to this limitation, inmates cannot get in contact with people such as their lawyers, family, and friends, as most only carry mobile phones.

“Most lawyers don’t have landlines anymore and are working off their cell phones. If you have civil matters outside of this jail, those lawyers do not take collect calls so men end up missing their court date and they end up getting closed,” said Mark Zammit, a current inmate and LGBTQ2S+ activist at the Beaver Creek Institution.

“The frustrations of the inability to contact those outside of the prison cause a mental strain on prisoners causing them to be violent,” he added.

Although Bell Canada annually holds its Bell Let’s Talk Day to raise awareness towards mental health, Alannah Fricker, president of the CSSDP, said they are not successfully advocating mental health awareness for everyone.

“Bell is not necessarily a champion for mental health. On one hand, they’re giving money and on the other hand, they’re taking from the community by restricting access to phone calls,” said Fricker.

Inmates are five times more likely to commit suicide which was the case of Cleve ‘Cas’ Geddes, a schizophrenic that committed suicide due to lack of communication with his family who could not afford a landline.

“Phones represent a lifeline to the rest of the world so what we are doing is making sure this lifeline is not cut,” said Toronto Prisoners’ Rights Project advocate, Gabby Aquino, on why Bell Canada needs to make mobile phone calls accessible.

CSSDP is calling upon Bell Canada to either suspend the contract, which will be renewed June 2020, or allow inmates the accessibilities of calling cellular numbers amongst other conditions, such as affordable call fees.