Anyone who has ever received a collect phone call from someone in the Orange County Jail will tell you the cost is very very high.

The situation is so bad, according to sources, that the County Board of Supervisors is going to address the issue later this week.

At least one elected official has pointed out the high cost makes it hard for inmates to connect with family members, which keeps them from being able to lean on loved ones for support while they're behind bars.

FCC calls phone prices "punitive"

The supervisors say they want to make sure they address the issue because having regular communication with family members may make it easier for detainees to reintegrate into society upon their release.

On the flip side of that coin, the county takes in more than $2.5 million each year as jail collect call revenue.  In the past, those monies have been used to help pay for things like rehabilitation and educational programs.

If less money is taken in, a number of cuts are likely to be made (unless the county is able to find an alternative funding stream).

Regardless, many feel the current rates are unfair, especially when it comes to minor-offenders who are being held for low-level charges.

The collect-call rate can be staggering for adults, they said, and they can seem impossible for a 17 year-old.

As it stands, the average daily phone call costs $4, according to jail records, and if you multiply that by six months behind bars, the costs really start to skyrocket.

What's more, is that each time a family member deposits money into an inmates collect call account they're charged a 19 percent fee for the privilege of doing it.

It's currently unclear if the supervisors are wanting to instill widespread changes for the entire system when they renew the contract for the current service provider, or if they'll just be focusing on making collect calls more affordable for those in juvenile detention centers.