The Legal Aid Society, together with other NYC Defender organizations, called for an immediate end to all recording of phone calls made by people incarcerated in New York City jails, as reported by the New York Daily News.

The recent disclosure of illegal recordings of privileged attorney phone calls by Securus Technologies highlights the intrusive practice of recording phone calls made by people who have no other way to communicate with their parents, children, loved ones, and legal counsel. The organizations are demanding all conversations be private, whether they are subject to privilege or not.

“The city and Securus have failed incarcerated New Yorkers and undermined the very foundation of our legal system,” a joint statement from the groups reads. “This problem is far more widespread than anyone could have expected, impacting hundreds and possibly thousands of people who believed their phone calls were not being recorded and needed to have an open conversation with their legal representative.”