The United States has the highest incarceration rate in the world, and Worth Rises is working to remove financial incentives for incarceration through narrative campaigns, policy change, and corporate accountability. Founding the organization in 2017, Bianca Tylek aimed to dismantle the $80 billion industry that profits from mass incarceration. By focusing on prison telecom, which is a $1.4 billion industry dominated by three corporations charging exorbitant rates for phone and video calls, Worth Rises has helped pass legislation to make communication free for incarcerated individuals in various cities, states, and at the federal level.
To date, Worth Rises has saved families over $400 million in communication costs and created two billion additional minutes of call time for incarcerated individuals and their loved ones. By disrupting the business model of the prison telecom industry and targeting corporate profiteers directly, the industry is on the verge of collapse. The organization’s three-pronged strategy of narrative change, policy change, and corporate accountability has been effective in challenging various sectors of the prison industry beyond telecom and labor.
Worth Rises has launched a public database of over 4,000 corporations profiting from the prison industry, providing a powerful tool for investors to screen out toxic companies. The organization also rates publicly traded companies with a harm score, identifying them as potential divestment targets. With their focus now shifting to labor, healthcare, and electronic monitoring within the industry, Worth Rises continues to expose and challenge exploitative practices that perpetuate mass incarceration.
Despite facing resistance from the industry, Worth Rises has been strategic, tactical, and surgical in their approach to creating impact. Tylek’s background in the corporate world, along with her team’s deep understanding of the industry, has enabled them to effectively navigate challenges and push for meaningful change. While there have been attempts to undermine their efforts, Worth Rises has garnered support from individuals with wealth and the broader community, uniting against the exploitation that fuels mass incarceration.
