Citizens for Prison Reform: PCS PHONE SITUATION- It will not be fixed until we SPEAK OUT- Disburse widely

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

PCS PHONE SITUATION- It will not be fixed until we SPEAK OUT- Disburse widely

All,

Please see below a message from Lois DeMott...

Hi,

We apologize if we have not heard your concerns or complaints around the PCS phone issues. We must organize together as a group, and we must seek supporters far and wide to email, call, write, and fax complaints to: PCS, your legislative members, Gov. Snyder's office, and MDOC. I have talked to several of you today to learn that you often have issues with connecting when you hit "0" to accept the call from a prisoner. You have to continue to hit "0" numerous times, and then some of you never get connected. I have learned that this goes on for days, with not being able to take a call for at times 2-3 days straight. I learned this has been ongoing since the contract started. I have learned more about PCS than I ever wanted to know in one day. I have talked to call centers in MI, either New Mexico or Mobile, Alabama (they don't know where they are located), and finally wound up with someone from CA calling me this evening.

I let them know we would be contacting our Governor, MDOC, and PCS, and that we would continue until they find a way to provide a service that families and prisoners deserve. If you have not had this happen to you, I still urge you to please contact the above mentioned, all on behalf of your friends and family who have had to experience it. We need to stick together, and we need to be bold. This is unacceptable. They doubled our rate, yet there are issues with their voice automated system when you call in to add money, and their website has glitches where you cannot add money on that either, AND you cannot talk to your loved one if the "0" is not connecting. I have been told by the fellow in Sacramento the voice automated issue when you call in to add money is to be replaced in two weeks, he knows what is wrong with the website and can easily fix it.

The Michigan call center informed me they have had numerous complaints since the contract began with all of the above mentioned issues. They have to report it to an escalated center, that is somewhere down south. They said the same people call back with the same problem several days later. It is not being fixed.

The San Francisco gentleman claims they have to fix each number individually, and that it is correct that it can go back within days to not recognizing the tone, so give them your account information if you have had these problems personally. He claims there is no other way to do it. I believe there is.

Please utilize the information below to begin your calling, faxing, emailing, and please pass this information on to any and every Michigan Citizen who will have an interest in families and prisoners being connected. Please ask them to fix all three problems and ask when these issues will be addressed. Call and stay on the line until you have the option to speak to a representative, or keep stating "I need help", or "I need a representative"

PCS MI Call Center: 1-855-466-2832 Manager: Christina

PCS Escalated Call Center- 1-888-288-9879 Out of State. You must speak with a manager for them to access your account (Julian).

PCS Website with fax info and other places to send emails:

http://www.pcstelcom.com/content.php?parent=12&page=17

MDOC:

FincoT@michigan.gov Deputy Director Finco

GrovesC-1@michigan.gov Cheryl Groves, told she handles the PCS account for MDOC

Gov. Snyder's office:

Phone: 517-373-3400, 517-335-7858 Fax:517-335-6863 Email: SnyderR3@michigan.gov

Please keep us updated as to the resolve of these issues, or what you learn.

Together, we can and will make a difference,

Citizens for Prison Reform
"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter"