Update: Securus Technologies Provides 26 Million Free Phone Calls For Incarcerated Individuals During Pandemic

Emergency offerings to help keep families connected include more than 26.0 million free phone calls totaling 201.0 million in free minutes; 5.2 million free video connections; 13.2 million free JPay stamps

News provided by

Securus Technologies

Sep 18, 2020, 08:47 ET

DALLAS, Sept. 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Securus Technologies today released its weekly update detailing the total number of free calls, video connections, and JPay stamps it has provided since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The offerings are part of an emergency program Securus deployed with its correctional partners on March 13, when the pandemic was declared a national emergency. It was developed to help incarcerated individuals stay connected with loved ones during this challenging time.

To date, those free offerings total:

26.0 million free call credits for incarcerated individuals and their families, resulting in 201.0 million free minutes of phone connections;
5.2 million free video connections to friends and families of incarcerated individuals;
13.2 million free JPay Stamps for electronic messaging;
Total accommodations for 399 agencies and 740 sites across the United States.

In addition to this ongoing assistance, Securus is offering compassion credits designed to accommodate incarcerated individuals who fall ill with COVID-19. Those credits, which are uploaded onto prepaid cards and distributed by correctional facilities, allow additional free access to Securus phone calls and video connections throughout an individual's medical care. The company is also making free calls available to public defenders at many locations.

For those facilities enabled with Securus tablet technology, the company has introduced select free movie and game titles during the COVID-19 pandemic, which have been downloaded almost 2 million times. This expanded assistance is in addition to the no-cost resources, including educational offerings, free eBooks, podcasts and other self-help tools that are always available free of charge.

"Digital communications tools are an essential way for incarcerated individuals to stay connected with their loved ones, especially during these challenging times," said Dave Abel, president and CEO of Aventiv Technologies, parent company of Securus Technologies. "That's why Aventiv is proud to have provided 26 million free call credits for incarcerated individuals. It's also encouraging to see facilities begin to reduce visitation restrictions, as nothing can replace the impact of seeing a loved one in-person."

The program is an element of an ongoing transformation effort by Securus Technologies to improve access to its services and provide greater support for those impacted by incarceration. The company continues to work with its partners to garner feedback about the situation on the ground. All support from Securus will be in accordance with the latest public health guidelines to ensure that the support is tailored and responsive to the unique needs of the incarcerated community.

ABOUT SECURUS TECHNOLOGIES

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. 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.

SOURCE Securus Technologies