Securus and In Our Backyard Lead Coordinated Effort with 100+ Volunteers, Supporting 15 Recoveries
Dallas, TX – February 19, 2025 – Securus Technologies, the leading provider of technology solutions for correctional facilities and law enforcement, in partnership with In Our Backyard (IOB) and law enforcement, released new data highlighting recovery efforts to combat human trafficking. This initiative is part of a long-standing partnership between Securus and IOB to raise awareness, provide critical training on prevention efforts, and assist law enforcement in recovering trafficking survivors.
During this year’s big game, IOB mobilized over 100 volunteers to distribute 10,000 Missing Children Booklets, expanding public awareness and supporting recoveries. With help from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), these efforts contributed to the recovery of 15 missing children. Securus worked alongside IOB and the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office to support law enforcement, helping generate 80 verified leads with crucial information for victim identification and recovery.
“Major sporting events can bring heightened awareness for human trafficking. Our collaborative efforts with community partners ensure that law enforcement agencies are better equipped to respond,” said Kevin Elder, President of Securus Technologies. “By combining Securus’ monitoring technologies and resources with on-the-ground community expertise, we strengthen efforts to combat this crisis and protect vulnerable individuals.”
IOB’s work extends throughout the year, helping to train more than 200 law enforcement officers, volunteers, and community partners to recognize trafficking risks. By sharing strategic processes, IOB helps law enforcement build cases and increase survivor recoveries.
“We are proud to partner with Securus and the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office to help track leads and save lives,” said Cheryl Csiky, Executive Director of In Our Backyard. “These results underscore the life-saving importance of ongoing awareness, training, and community mobilization in protecting those most at risk.”
This partnership reflects Securus’ commitment to leveraging technology solutions and strategic collaborations to support law enforcement, enhance public safety, and provide crucial resources for victim recovery.
As part of this ongoing effort, Securus and IOB have launched ‘Defying Destiny,’ a Securus Originals content series shedding light on the harrowing world of human trafficking while celebrating the strength and resilience of survivors. Each episode features candid interviews with survivors sharing their experiences, offering viewers insight into their challenges and the journey toward healing. The podcast series is available for free to incarcerated individuals who have access to a Securus tablet, providing education and awareness to help prevent human trafficking within correctional facilities.
For more information about In Our Backyard and Securus Technologies’ anti-trafficking efforts, visit https://www.aventiv.com/securus-technologies/.
About Securus Technologies
Headquartered in Plano, Texas, Securus Technologies® (Securus) is an Aventiv Technologies company that serves more than 1,800 public safety, law enforcement, and corrections agencies as well as over 1,000,000 incarcerated individuals across North America. Founded in 1986, Securus offers innovative solutions like phone and video connections and e-messaging, which connect family and friends to their incarcerated loved ones. Their secure monitoring and investigative solutions aid law enforcement and correctional facility staff in their operations and efforts to maintain public safety in communities nationwide. As the pioneers of tablet technology, Securus introduced the first corrections-grade tablet in 2011, revolutionizing how communication, entertainment, reentry, and educational resources are deployed in complex corrections environments, elevating efficiency in operations and stronger reentry outcomes. For more information, please visit https://www.aventiv.com/securus-technologies/ or follow us on social media on LinkedIn, YouTube, and Facebook.
About In Our Backyard
IN OUR BACKYARD (IOB) is a national leader with more than a decade of dedication to the fight against sex and labor trafficking. IOB links arms in the fight against human trafficking by empowering communities to prevent this atrocity and creating access to freedom for victims of human trafficking (HT). Exposed to the devastating realities of HT, IOB Founder Nita Belles was driven to take action to stop the exploitation of children, women, and men. Her book, In Our Backyard, has been acclaimed as the primer on human trafficking in America.