GTL Reaches Settlement with Mississippi Attorney General

RESTON, Va., Aug. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- GTL, an innovation leader in correctional technology, education solutions that assist in rehabilitating inmates, and payment services solutions for government, today announced that it has entered into an agreement with the State of Mississippi to resolve a civil lawsuit for $2.5 million.

"We have always acted with integrity," said Brian Oliver, GTL's Chief Executive Officer. "So why are we settling? We can spend the next three years focused on innovation or litigation. We choose innovation."

The settlement acknowledges that GTL denies any involvement or liability in any wrongdoing. In a statement, Attorney General Hood said: "As a company that continues to contract with the State, Global Tel*Link quickly approached our office seeking settlement after the Epps scandal. Due to their cooperation, we have now resolved this matter."

GTL was one of 15 companies involved in civil lawsuits filed by the state following the conviction of Christopher Epps, former commissioner of the Mississippi Department of Corrections, for his role in an extortion scheme.

"This whole episode is the result of the corrupt actions of a bad actor, Mr. Epps, who is now in prison," Oliver said. "We work with many great public officials in Mississippi and across the country every day. This is an aberration, not representative of the many fine corrections leaders and personnel we work with."

GTL provided full, unstinting cooperation to law enforcement and was not a party to the illicit acts of Epps. Testimony in related federal proceedings confirmed that GTL's contracts with the State of Mississippi are legitimate. GTL has provided service to the State of Mississippi since 2005 and remains a service provider to the State today.

"Like many other public and private sector organizations facing such litigation, we cleared the decks to focus on our customers, not the courtroom," said Jeff Haidinger, President of GTL. "It is a credit to our employees that while working to resolve this matter, we continue to serve the State of Mississippi with high-quality service and leading-edge technology. That is why we continue to be a trusted partner."

"I am proud of the integrity of our people and our company," Oliver said. "We are glad to close the door on this issue so we can focus our full attention on rolling out the next generation of technology solutions to our customers."

About GTL
GTL leads the fields of correctional technology, education, and government payment services with visionary solutions and customized products that integrate seamlessly to deliver security, financial value, and operational efficiencies while aiding inmate rehabilitation and reducing recidivism rates. With the recent acquisition of Telmate, GTL has strengthened its suite of solutions for the corrections industry and expanded its community corrections portfolio with Telmate Guardian, a smartphone-based GPS monitoring solution. As a trusted industry leader, GTL provides services to over 2 million inmates in more than 2,500 correctional facilities in the United States and Canada, including 33 U.S. departments of corrections, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Federal Bureau of Prisons, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and many large city/county/provincial facilities. GTL is headquartered in Reston, Virginia, with an employee presence throughout North America. To learn more about GTL, please visit www.gtl.net or our social media sites on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Press Contact: Elizabeth Northrup
202-465-7776
[email protected]

SOURCE GTL

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