Securus Technologies Partners with Essential Education, Fueling the Company's Tablet-Based Portfolio of Education and Re-entry Programming

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Aug 10, 2023, 10:00 ET

Securus Unity tablets will offer Essential Education courses to help prepare incarcerated individuals for GED® and HiSET® testing, enhancing Securus' comprehensive suite of educational offerings to support learning for all academic and skillset levels

DALLAS, Aug. 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- As part of its commitment to bridging the digital divide in correctional facilities and expanding access to educational opportunities, Securus Technologies, an Aventiv company, is partnering with Essential Education, a renowned provider of educational resources and programs for adult education. Through this collaboration, Securus will expand the offerings on its tablet platform allowing incarcerated individuals free access to premium education and re-entry programming powered by Essential Education, including GED prep, HiSET prep, computer competency, financial literacy, and other curriculum to ensure incarcerated students have learning opportunities regardless of their academic level.

Recognizing technology is a force multiplier, Securus provides education and re-entry programming completely free for the incarcerated empowering them to build their education acumen and increasing their employability after being released. Through Securus' progressive 1:1 tablet model, each incarcerated individual can use their Securus Unity tablet as the hub of their education journey, providing a pathway from K-12 programming to high school equivalency prep to post-secondary college degrees, and many more development courses to support professional and personal growth.

The addition of Essential Education provides more flexibility for self-paced, adaptive lessons through the convenience of handheld tablets, supplementing classroom-specific instruction. Partnering with Essential Education allows Securus to provide incarcerated individuals access to adaptive lessons that will help them prepare for taking the high school equivalency test, a vital step in the rehabilitation process as about 75 percent of incarcerated individuals in America's state prisons did not complete high school.

"By obtaining a GED, incarcerated individuals can progress by furthering their education, eliminating barriers when trying to secure employment once released," said Brian Walsh, Product Director, Education and Customer Platform for Aventiv. "To help reduce recidivism, we need to provide facilities with tablet-based educational programming that allows incarcerated individuals to enroll in courses, study at their own pace, and earn degrees and accreditations that will lead to successful second chances. Our education and re-entry suite provides that digital support on a massive scale and is now enhanced with Essential Education's individualized instructions so individuals can advance at any academic level."

As part of this strategic partnership, Securus' education and re-entry suite will integrate Essential Education's acclaimed GED/HiSET Academy, which has a proven track record of helping individuals obtain their high school equivalency diplomas. Additionally, the partnership will bring forth the Essential Education Workforce Suite, providing a complete education solution including CASAS GOALS Academy™, TABE 11/12 Academy™, as well as College, Computer, Work, and Money Essentials courses.

"The key to success is delivering independent, individualized learning to accommodate all academic levels so incarcerated individuals feel confident picking up a tablet to learn. Whether someone has a second grade reading level, is trying to earn a high school diploma or working on a Masters, they should have access to the tools needed to succeed," said Dan Griffith, President, Educator Division of Essential Education. "Securus has specialized experience in delivering scalable digital education into correctional facilities, which will allow us to reach more incarcerated students who are eager to learn and achieve their educational goals. I'm excited to see how many lives we can impact."

Securus Technologies' education and re-entry suite already incorporates a robust learning management system (LMS), self-paced learning content, job search and employment resources, and many more essential resources and tools. Partnering with Essential Education extends Securus' investment in education, expanding its suite of services into a complete tablet-based education solution designed to address the diverse needs of incarcerated individuals. Incarcerated students will now be able to access content that strategically leads them through their coursework in both their correctional education classrooms and in their living units on tablets.

Essential Education's suite of educational services is expected to become available for Securus Unity Tablets in fall 2023 and will potentially reach up to 30,000 learners within the first six months.

About Aventiv
Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, Aventiv Technologies serves more than 3,450 public safety, law enforcement, and corrections agencies and over 1,100,000 incarcerated individuals across North America. Aventiv is committed to serve and connect by providing emergency response, incident management, public information, investigation, biometric analysis, communication, information management, incarcerated self-service, and monitoring products and services in order to make our world a safer place to live. For more information, please visit www.Aventiv.com or LinkedIn. Aventiv is a portfolio company of Platinum Equity. Founded in 1995 by Tom Gores, Platinum Equity is a global investment firm with a portfolio of approximately 40 operating companies that serve customers around the world.

About Essential Education
Since 2002, Essential Education has empowered over 4.5 million adults to achieve their life goals through their award-winning online learning system and print materials. Their innovative solutions have revolutionized adult education by providing an array of programs that cater to the diverse needs of adult learners. From comprehensive low-level adult basic education to high school equivalency test preparation and essential workforce readiness skills, they have reshaped the landscape of adult education. Their programs are thoughtfully designed to assist educators in achieving their desired success, offering a guided pathway for each student that seamlessly supports both traditional classrooms and virtual learning environments.

SOURCE Aventiv Technologies