The Mission Behind GTL’s Request2Call™ Feature

Connecting Inmates and Friends and Family Members More Frequently: The Mission Behind GTL’s Request2Call™ Feature

January 17, 2018

Multiple studies have shown that family communication can reduce recidivism. A 1972 study titled “Explorations in Inmate-Family Relationships” showed a consistent positive relationship between parole success and strong family ties while the parolee was in prison. A 2012 article titled “The Role of Family and Pro-Social Relationships in Reducing Recidivism” cast family as a critical component for inmates transitioning out of prison. Numerous studies reinforce the connection between family ties and reduced recidivism rates.

GTL is committed to increasing communication between inmates and their friends and family members, and our Request2Call™ application underscores that commitment. Request2Call is an innovative, industry-first feature that enables an inmate’s friends and family to submit a call request, notifying an inmate with a GTL Tablet device that their loved one is available to talk. The Request2Call feature leverages GTL’s Inmate Telephone System (ITS) and its secure Inspire® inmate tablet.

Inmates can make calls but they cannot receive them. Trying to get in touch with loved ones is a significant event—inmates must keep calling until their loved one is available to answer the call. This one-way “phone tag” can be never ending.

The Request2Call feature starts with an inmate friend or family member going online and sending a call request to the inmate. When the inmate logs into a GTL Inspire tablet, a message pops up notifying them of the request. The inmate can then choose whether to initiate a call or dismiss the request. This feature gives inmates options while increasing communication. Successful communication reinforces family and support, which is critical for inmates’ futures and a priority for justice systems nationwide.

Request2Call was also built with the security of correctional facilities at the forefront. Facility staff can monitor and catalogue all requests, knowing in real-time who is sending the request, and which requests inmates act on. All the ITS safety features apply to calls initiated through Request2Call and the Inspire tablets, including call recording, monitoring, reporting, and voice biometrics.

A true advancement in the field of corrections, Request2Call is just another feature that sets GTL’s Inspire tablet apart from the competition as the best-in-industry inmate communication device.

Press Contact:
Vinnie Mascarenhas
703-955-3894
[email protected]