About the ChallengeEvery year, families of incarcerated people pay billions to stay connected with their loved ones. The prison telecom industry charges rates that can reach $1 per minute for phone calls, video calls, and electronic messages, forcing families to choose between staying connected and meeting basic needs.Code for Connection:Open Lines, Open Sourcebrings together engineers, designers, and directly impacted community members to buildan open-source communications platform that correctional facilities can adopt to provide free communication for incarcerated people and their families.What Makes This Hackathon DifferentThis isn't a typical hackathon. Instead of competing in isolation, you'll work withincollaborative guilds, each focused on a core component of the platform: voice calls, video calls, electronic messaging, or administration.Each guild contains paired teams that must work together to deliver a combined prototype. Your success depends on how well your work connects with others.Example: How a guild works┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ VOICE GUILD │ │ │ │ ┌─────────────────┐ ┌─────────────────┐ │ │ │ Team Alpha │ │ Team Beta │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ User-facing │◄─►│ Admin tools + │ │ │ │ interfaces for │ │ backend │ │ │ │ families + │ │ services │ │ │ │ incarcerated │ │ │ │ │ │ individuals │ │ │ │ │ └─────────────────┘ └─────────────────┘ │ │ │ │ Shared API contracts + schemas │ │ Regular syncs throughout the day │ │ Combined demo: "Here's what we built" │ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────┘We anticipate approximately 75 participants across all guilds. Detailed assignments and technical briefing materials will be shared with accepted participants before the event.Centering Lived ExperienceFormerly incarcerated individuals and impacted family members aren't consultants here, they serve asUX guides,giving feedback to every team, ensuring the platform reflects the real needs of the people who will use it.Who Should ParticipateSoftware engineers (especially experience with WebRTC, real-time communication, or mobile development)UX/UI designersProduct managersFormerly incarcerated individualsFamily members of incarcerated peopleLegal professionals familiar with correctionsAnyone passionate about criminal justice reform and tech for goodEvent DetailsSaturday, March 7 — Day 1Opening session, technical briefing, guild formation, and a full day of building with cross-guild sync sessions. Lunch, snacks, and dinner provided.Sunday, March 8 — Day 2Continued building, integration time, code freeze, guild presentations, awards, and closing. Breakfast, lunch, and snacks provided.A detailed schedule will be shared with accepted participants closer to the event.Documentary Screening: March 5, 2026Join us the Thursday before for a documentary screening exploring the prison telecom industry, followed by a panel discussion. Open to all. Separate registration details coming soon.About Worth RisesWorth Rises is a non-profit organization dedicated to dismantling the prison industry and ending the exploitation of those it touches. The organization works to expose the commercialization of the criminal justice system, advocate for policy reform, and build alternatives that center the needs of directly impacted communities.Learn more atworthrises.org