New Milestone Comes as Company’s Expansive Emergency Program to Offer Services at Free and Reduced Cost Continues
Securus Technologies announced today that it has provided more than 10 million JPay Stamps for electronic messaging to incarcerated individuals and their families since March 13, when the COVID-19 pandemic was officially declared a national emergency in the United States. The new benchmark is just one component of a comprehensive suite of free and reduced cost services the company is providing during the unprecedented emergency.
The program is a response to a number of public health policies implemented at correctional facilities across the country, which include restricting in-person visitation to reduce the likelihood of viral transmission for incarcerated Americans and correctional staff. That decision makes alternative communication methods offered by Securus, like telephone, video, and digital messaging services, even more important than ever before.
In conjunction with its correctional partners, Securus continues to offer free and discounted services to 398 agencies and 738 sites nationwide. The company’s assistance thus far totals:
- 7 million free call credits for incarcerated individuals and their families, resulting in 165.6 million free minutes of phone connections;
- 8 million free video connections to friends and families of incarcerated individuals;
- 2 million free JPay Stamps to incarcerated individuals for electronic messaging.
“Digital communication resources have played a critical role in keeping incarcerated Americans and their families connected, sharing photos and other sentiments during a time when remaining close to loved ones matters most,” said Dave Abel, president and CEO of Aventiv Technologies, parent company of Securus Technologies. “We are extremely proud to have worked with institutional partners across the country to provide more than 10 million free JPay Stamps to facilitate those connections while maintaining safety and security measures.”
In addition to its expansive emergency program, Securus is also providing compassion credits to individuals who fall ill with COVID-19. Those credits, which are loaded onto prepaid cards and distributed by correctional facilities on as as-needed basis, provide access to Securus phone calls and video connections for the duration of medical care. The company provides those credits on prepaid cards, which are then distributed by correctional facilities to individuals on as as-needed basis. At many locations, Securus is also providing public defenders with free calls during the emergency.
At participating facilities, Securus has introduced select free movie and game titles for individuals. These new titles are offered in addition to a vast preexisting collection of educational offerings, e-books, podcasts, and other materials that are always available at no-cost.
Securus is undergoing a corporate transformation to make its services more accessible, affordable, and transparent for incarcerated Americans and their families. The company is monitoring the public health crisis in facilities across America and will continue to partner with agencies to provide assistance.