Detroit Pistons owner Tom Gores found himself a target of comedian Samantha Bee, who lampooned the billionaire for his involvement in the prison-industrial complex on TBS's Full Frontal.
In a new clip, Bee discusses the $1.4 billion prison telecom industry with Bianca Tylek of Worth Rises, an advocacy organization for incarcerated people.
Connecticut has the most expensive prison phone calls in the nation, where a 15-minute phone call can cost nearly $5. Connecticut makes nearly $7 million a year on these predatory phone calls, she said.
"But Connecticut isn't doing this alone," Bee said. "Like every true crime story, there's a sneaky accomplice."
In this case, the accomplice is none other than Gores, whose company Platinum Equity owns the prison communications firm Securus.
"It really sounds like the shell company of a bad guy in a Marvel movie," Bee said.
Securus pulls in $700 million a year from its predatory phone calls.
"You're a billionaire because there were times I didn't eat," a mother of a formerly incarcerated man told Gores in the clip. "You're a billionaire because of times my lights went off. You're a billionaire off my back."
Worth Rises is supporting Connecticut's Senate Bill 972, which would provide free communication for incarcerated people.
You can watch the full clip below:
If you hate the Detroit Pistons or the insane cost incarcerated individuals must pay to make a phone call, have we got the piece for you! Sam sat down with @BiancaTylek of @WorthRises to learn how Tom Gores and the prison industry are making a fortune off of others’ misfortune. pic.twitter.com/QGOQcYT2cG
— Full Frontal (@FullFrontalSamB) May 5, 2021
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