Program to reach one out of every four incarcerated people and their loved ones across the country
FALLS CHURCH, Va. – GTL, a leader in transformative corrections technology that improves outcomes for inmates and facilities, today announced free weekly communication options to incarcerated individuals at their contracting state correctional facilities. This permanent initiative is in addition to previously announced efforts to support families during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Our mission at GTL is to facilitate impactful communications and to do all we can to help prepare individuals reenter society and build toward a successful life after release,” said Deb Alderson, GTL President & CEO. “We understand the importance of communication and also recognize the barriers that lower-income and fixed-income families face when a loved one is incarcerated. As we continue to expand our offering, our primary focus is ensuring every single individual in these facilities is included and has access to communicate irrespective of their financial situation—in total, this will directly help more than 530,000 people across the U.S. We are already working to expand the program and implement a similar offering with our county jail customers in the near future.”
Enabling connection at no cost is not a new concept to GTL—the company has been working with over 400 customers to bring families and friends together during the COVID-19 pandemic, providing 22 million calls, 2.5 million messages, and 6 million minutes of video visitation, all free of charge. Similarly, during other emergency situations such as Hurricanes Dorian and Florence, as well as the California wildfires, GTL provided free calling services to ensure incarcerated individuals were able to connect to their loved ones.
It is easy to tell the difference between incarcerated individuals who keep in regular contact with their loved ones and those that do not, whether due to financial reasons or otherwise,” said Bureau Chief Shane Troxler, Delaware Department of Correction. “Frequent communication with family and friends can provide a much-needed morale boost, and we are confident that our population will take full advantage and benefit from the free services GTL is providing.”
“We will continue to listen to the concerns of incarcerated individuals and their families, improving the ways in which we can expand our support and increase connectivity,” said Matthew Caesar, GTL Executive Vice President, Customer Solutions. “At GTL, providing connectivity regardless of financial situation is an important milestone on our journey to improve outcomes for both incarcerated individuals and correctional facilities.”
About GTL
GTL leads the fields of corrections technology, education, and intelligence, as well as government payment services, with visionary solutions that integrate seamlessly to deliver security, financial value, and operational efficiencies while aiding inmate rehabilitation. As a trusted industry leader, GTL provides services to over 1.6 million inmates in more than 2,300 correctional facilities in the United States and Canada, including 29 U.S. departments of corrections, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Federal Bureau of Prisons. GTL is headquartered in Falls Church, Virginia, with an employee presence throughout North America. To learn more about GTL, please visit www.gtl.net or social media sites on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube.