Comment Dates For Accessible Carceral Communications Proceeding

Comments Due:  December 15, 2022
Reply Comments Due:  January 17, 2022

On September 30, 2022, the Commission released its Fourth Report and Order and Sixth Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to improve access to communications services for incarcerated people with communication disabilities.  On November 15, 2022, a summary of the Further Notice was published in the Federal Register, which establishes the comment due dates for the Sixth Further Notice. 

The Sixth Further Notice seeks comment on, among other things:

1. Whether to allow enterprise registration for Internet Protocol Captioned Telephone Service (IP CTS) in correctional facilities;
2. Whether to adopt the FCC’s proposal to extend inmate calling services providers’ TRS-related access obligations to include VRS, IP Relay, and IP CTS as well as ASL point-to-point video calling, where broadband is available, and analog captioned telephone service (CTS) where broadband is not available, with average daily populations of fewer than 50 incarcerated persons; and
3. Whether charges for any inmate calling services for incarcerated people with disabilities should be disclosed in accessible formats.

Interested parties may file comments by accessing the FCC’s Electronic Comment Filing System at https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs/filings/.  All filings must reference WC Docket No. 12-375. People with disabilities who need assistance to file comments online may request assistance by email to FCC504@fcc.gov. 

Links to Further Notice:
URL:  https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-mandates-trs-access-incarcerated-people-disabilities  
Word:  https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/FCC-22-76A1.docx 
PDF:  https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/FCC-22-76A1.pdf 
Text:  https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/FCC-22-76A1.txt

For further information, please contact Michael Scott, Disability Rights Office, Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau, at (202) 418-1264 or Michael.Scott@fcc.gov.  Individuals who use videophones and are fluent in American Sign Language (ASL) may call the FCC’s ASL Consumer Support Line at (844) 432‐2275.