Video visitations are back at the Virginia Beach Correctional Center; More than 100 visitation stations needed repairs after age and lightning storms took a toll on the video communication system.
WVEC 13 News – July 16, 2018
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WVEC) – The Virginia Beach Correctional Center visitation system is back up and running after 3 months of being down. The video communication system, installed in 2005, lets inmates video chat with their loved ones. 122 visitation stations needed repairing after age and lightning storms took a toll on it. Continue Reading
GTL Guardian and VRS Product Features
CorrectionalNews 2018 Product Guide
Smartphone Supervision | Guardian – GTL, through its Telmate subsidiary, provides a high-tech, low-cost offender monitoring solution used by community corrections personnel to supervise offenders on parole, probation, pretrial or work release in place of costlier ankle bracelets. Continue Reading
Inmate Telephone System | Video Relay Service (VRS) – Reston, VA. headquartered GTL announced that it has integrated Video Relay Service (VRS) into its Inmate Telephone System (ITS) platform, providing a better user experience for both inmates and correctional facilities. Continue Reading
Video visitation restored at Va. Beach Correctional Center
WAVY 10 News – July 10, 2018
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) – Visitation has been restored at the Virginia Beach Correctional Center. Officials with the Virginia Beach Sheriff’s Office announced Tuesday the new inmate visitation system went live in the morning. This comes after the video visitation system went down in late March. “I understand that three months is a long time to go without seeing your loved ones and I appreciate everyone’s patience as we’ve worked to restore visitation here at the Virginia Beach Correctional Center,” said Sheriff Ken Stolle said in a statement. Continue Reading
Vermont’s inmates are using tablets from new company
My Champlain Valley – June 13, 2018
WATERBURY, Vt. – Vermont’s 1,500 in-state inmates gained access to new tablets this spring, Local 22 & Local 44 News has learned. The inmates each have their own tablet provided by the company Global Tel Link. According to the Department of Corrections, it is not a taxpayer-funded program. Continue Reading
Operational Software Options
Corrections Forum Magazine – May / June 2018 Edition
OMS systems, such as the one from GTL, keep a handle on everything an inmate needs from booking to conditions of release. Continue Reading
DuPage County inmates to get tablets for communication, entertainment
Chicago Daily Herald – June 6, 2018
DuPage County jail inmates soon will be using tablets for applications ranging from communicating with jail staff to registering for classes to playing games. The new program is being rolled out this month with approximately five tablets being distributed for every 16 inmates. Eventually, officials said, every inmate will have his or her own tablet. Continue Reading
Tablets for inmates: Corrections department launches digital device program
The Hippo Press – May 31, 2018
More than 600 specialized tablets have been made available to the New Hampshire prison population, at no cost to the state. The tablets can be used to make phone calls and send messages, paid for by the sender. The calls are run through the company’s inmate call management system and follow the same rules and procedures as calls from the traditional wall-mounted phones. “They just have a little bit more access to be able to call friends and family,” said Brian Peters, vice president of facility product management education at Global Tel*Link, the Virginia-based company that provides the tablet service. Continue Reading
What Walmart and Star Wars taught this Nashville entrepreneur
Nashville Business Journal – May 22, 2018
Nashe’s entrepreneurial spirit, however, was alive well before he created a product or brokered a loan, as I found out when I sat down with the now vice president of Global Tel*Link last month. You can read more with Nashe in our full profile of him later this week. Continue Reading
Sarasota County Jail unveils program that gives every inmate a tablet (Watch Video)
WFLA News Channel 8 – May 18, 2018
SARASOTA, Fla. (WFLA) – The Sarasota County Jail has just unveiled a new program. Every inmate has been given a tablet and it’s been done at no cost to taxpayers. This technology provides benefits for both the inmates and the corrections officers. The 900 men and women at the Sarasota County Jail are paying for their crimes, but they still have the right to improve themselves. Tech company GTL has given every inmate a tablet. Continue Reading
In Decatur prison, technology removes barriers for moms behind bars
Herald & Review – May 13, 2018
DECATUR — When an offender is sentenced to prison, ties to loved ones, including children left behind with caregivers, can be difficult to maintain. But technology available in 13 of Illinois’ 25 correctional facilities is helping offenders stay in touch with families and friends through email and video connections, including at Decatur Correctional Center, one of two women’s prisons in the state. Continue Reading
GTL Brings Video Relay Service to Inmate Calls
Correctional News – May 10, 2018
RESTON, Va. — Thanks to GTL, a correctional technology, education and government payment services provider, deaf or hard-of-hearing inmates can more easily sign “I just called to say I love you” to their phone call recipients. Continue Reading
Digitizing Customer Facing Court Functions
Courts Today – April / May 2018 Edition
TouchPay Holdings’ comprehensive automated payment services for government agencies collects deposits, payments, and fees. Continue Reading
Increasing Security & Connecting Jail Inmates with Loved Ones (See Video)
American Security Today – May 3, 2018
GTL’s Request2Call is an innovative new offering in the corrections market that alleviates the frustrations of infrequent communication between incarcerated individuals and their friends and family members. This new system allows inmates to receive notifications when their friends or family members are ready to receive a phone call, eliminating the stress of having to guess when their loved is available to take a call. Continue Reading
NSW Corrective Services awards Telstra $45 million contract after Optus deal expires.
CRN Connecting the Australian Channel – May 1, 2018
The $44.6 million contract also includes upgrades to cabling and existing handsets, with Sydney-based unified communications provider Ericom and US-based telco Global Tel Link named as subcontractors. “Following a rigorous tender process Telstra was selected because it provided the best value for money, the most functional solution as well as detailed expertise and experience,” a spokesperson from NSW Corrective Services told CRN. The Department of Justice said the upgrade is the first stage of the agreement, with the opportunity of implementing further OTS and offender digital services (ODS) in the next four stages in the future. Continue Reading
Tablets: Reducing Recidivism & Increasing Efficiency in Corrections
Correctional News – April 20, 2018
Tablet technology is rapidly altering the landscape of corrections facilities. The entire corrections ecosystem is looking for ways to increase operational efficiency as well as increase post-release success and reduce recidivism. Currently, less than 10 percent of facilities across the country have embraced wireless tablet technology, but that number is expected to balloon to more than 50 percent in the next five years because of its tangible and intangible benefits. One early adopter, Pima County, Ariz., has seen significant drops in violence and suicidal behavior since introducing tablet technology. Continue Reading
Prison Inmates’ Access to Tablet Computers to be Expanded
Delaware State News – March 30, 2018
DOVER — Delaware’s Department of Correction is in the midst of developing a plan that would put Wi-Fi-enabled tablet computers into inmates’ hands. As part of a limited trial, inmates at Baylor Women’s Correctional Institution have had access to Wi-Fi-enabled tablet computer since October 2016. According to Deputy Commissioner Alan Grinstead the DOC is in the process of wiring James T. Vaughn Correctional Center in Smyrna for Wi-Fi as part of the plan to expand tablet access to the prison’s population. Continue Reading
Request2Call System Connects Inmates to Families and Reduces Jail Violence
KGUN 9 ABC News – March 6, 2018
TUCSON, Ariz. – Pima County Jail now gives its inmates access to a system allowing more efficient communication with their families. Request2Call allows inmates and their families to send each other notifications when they’re able to take a call. Continue Reading
MDOC Prison Lowers Phone Call Rates
Mississippi News Now – March 3, 2018
JACKSON, MS (Mississippi News Now) – The cost of inmate phone calls is now less than 4 cents per minute at all state-operated facilities and will soon be the same at the three private prisons in Mississippi. Continue Reading
County Jail to Implement New Video Visitation System
The Exponent – February 27, 2018
Sheriff Barry Richard said that while remote video-visitation bears a small cost, it pales in comparison to the cost of travel to Tippecanoe County that visitors from out of town may incur. “The concept is a good one, a time-saver, and a convenience,” Richard said. Department Captain Langman commented on the increase in overall efficiency and safety the new program would bring to the lobby of the Sheriff’s Office. Continue Reading
GTL & Telmate New Powerful Upgrade for Community Corrections
American Security Today – February 12, 2018
Guardian is an innovative offender monitoring solution used by local, state, and private probation, parole, and community corrections professionals to supervise low to mid-risk offenders in place of a traditional ankle monitor and check-in. Continue Reading
GTL Enhances Payment Services for Child Support Agencies
American Security Today – February 7, 2018
TouchPay (which was acquired by GTL in 2014 and does business as GTL Financial Services) provides payers in various industries with a range of services and payment options, including premise-based kiosks, countertop terminals, an online payment portal, and an automated phone system. Continue Reading
Communications Tools Expand Inmate Possibilities.
Corrections Forum Magazine – January / February 2018 Edition
The GTL visitation management system provides a way for correctional facilities to cut the chaos out of the visitation process, allowing for a more streamlined approach where the visitors schedule all visits online in advance. Continue Reading
Video visits help inmates connect with friends, family, and improve security.
The Lebanon Enterprise – January 24, 2018
The Marion County Detention Center will upgrade its video visit solution with corrections technology leader Telmate, a wholly-owned subsidiary of GTL. The services will now include remote video visits on Telmate Tablets as well as “at facility” visits on lobby video visitation stations. Telmate installs and maintains their advanced visitation solution at no cost to the facility or taxpayer. Continue Reading
The Second Annual Champions Edition.
American Security Today – December 2017 Edition
GTL won a Platinum ASTOR Award in the Best Rugged Computer Tablet category for its Inspire® inmate tablet and a Silver ASTOR Award in the Best Cell Phone Detection Solution category for its Mobile IQ/blended approach for Best Cell Phone Detection Solution. Continue Reading
The Facility Operations Challenge: Improve the Environment.
Corrections Forum Magazine – November/December 2017 Edition
… “Improving processes is the underlying enhancement to Offender Management Systems (OMS) that serve new directives. “Legislative Trends are contributing to a decline in the numbers of persons under institutional confinement and are resulting in more persons paying their debts to society under community supervision programs,” says John Lowry, Senior Product Manager, Product Management at GTL. The more significant trends include sentence adjustments, addressing the specific needs of each offender, and putting emphasis on education and reentry planning. He explains that recent enhancements to GTL’s OMS are based on these changes.” … Continue Reading
Digital tablets keep county inmates occupied, quieter.
Kenosha News – November 24, 2017
Designed especially for the corrections market, GTL’s tablets resemble iPads, but are encased in a clear case so that nothing can be hidden inside. Inmates can use the tablets to make phone calls, for email, to play games, listen to music or to read books or news. Inmates aren’t required to take a tablet, said Lt. Eric Klinkhammer, administrator of the Kenosha County Detention Center, but they almost invariably do. GTL provides the tablets at no cost. Continue Reading
2017 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Award Winners Honored at ISC East.
American Security Today – November 20, 2017
GTL Platinum ‘ASTORS’ Awards Winner. GTL Inspire® Tablet – “Best Rugged Computer Tablet.” GTL Silver ‘ASTORS’ Awards Winner. GTL Mobile IQ/Blended Approach – “Best Cell Phone Detection Solution.” Continue Reading
The war on contraband.
Post Register – November 18, 2017
… “The jail also has reduced contraband by restricting the face-to-face time inmates have with visitors. Visitation today is mostly conducted through online chat using a service called Telmate. Inmates are given access to a tablet computer with limited internet access so they can schedule visits with family member.” … Continue Reading
Inmate tablets serve multiple purposes.
The Rock River Times – November 17, 2017
With tablets, inmates are no longer forced to use the small bank of desktop computers to access the law library. There’s now a mobile app for that. There are religious materials, parenting and job classes and GED study materials, which Redmond said will improve that that process for the 50 or so inmates enrolled in that program. Tablets have physical cameras, but they’re disabled. External speakers do not function either. One pair of ear buds is provided. Continue Reading
Northern Illinois County Jail to Allow Inmates Tablet Access; Inmates at a northern Illinois county jail will have access to tablets that can be used as phones and for approved classes.
U.S. News / Associated Press – November 14, 2017
The tablets can’t be used to browse the internet and don’t have social media, video or camera capabilities. Instead, they’re intranet-based, meaning they’ll only allow content the sheriff approves. That includes anger management and parenting classes. Inmates with money in their commissary accounts can make calls. Continue Reading
Employment Empowerment
Corrections Forum Magazine – September/October 2017 Edition
Being employed has been proven to help keep ex-offenders out of jail/prison. From advocacy to skills training to job data bases, here are ways they can get help. Continue Reading
Calling Them Out – How technology works to ferret out contraband cell phones and their communications.
Corrections Forum Magazine – September/October 2017 Edition
… “There are many viable solutions on the market today that play a part in combating contraband cellphones. The million-dollar question is, “Which one is right for your facility?” GTL consults with customers to customize a strategic solution that works for them. Recognizing any contraband to be a symptom of a larger problem, GTL works to implement an intelligence-led corrections approach that gets to the root of the problem. Instead of having to chase new symptoms that arise, facilities shut down contraband at its source.” … Continue Reading
GTL in ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards
American Security Today – September 11, 2017
In recent years, technologies for managing and detecting cellular signals have made their way into correctional facilities, some going so far as to claim to be “the” solution for eradicating contraband phones. While most technologies are a viable tool in the toolbox, they are just that—a tool—and should simply be one of many instead of the singular solution. Continue Reading
Opinion: How tablets are helping us clean up our prison
Washington Examiner – September 5, 2017
Inmate tablets are the most effective inmate management tool I have seen in my 25 years as a corrections professional. Although some would argue that they are a luxury offering that criminals don’t deserve, the results we’ve seen at my facility in Pima County, Ariz, speak for themselves. Since implementing the tablet program, our suicide attempts and ideations are down 66 percent and our successful suicides are down 100 percent. Staff assaults are down 60 percent, and our inmate-on-inmate assaults are down 40 percent as well. Continue Reading
GTL Adds Inmate Voice IQ Search to List of Solutions (Learn More, Video)
American Security Today – August 31, 2017
GTL, an innovator in correctional technology, education solutions that assist in rehabilitating inmates, and payment services solutions for government, has enhanced its patented voice biometric toolset with the addition of Voice IQ Search. Voice IQ Search joins GTL’s suite of biometric applications collectively known as Voice IQ, which serve as key security features within the company’s Inmate Telephone System (ITS). Continue Reading
Episode 329: Logging in When You’re Locked Up — Tablets in Jail. Pima County has the only facility in Arizona allowing inmates to use tablets.
Arizona Public Media / PBS – August 18, 2017
Men and women in the Pima County Jail are using electronic tablets, making it the only facility in the state allowing such access, which the jail says comes at no cost to the county. The pilot program started more than a year ago, and the tablets transformed the environment almost immediately. Global Tel Link (GTL) manages the jail’s communication network for inmates. More than an year ago, the company asked if it could supply each of the 2,000 inmates with a tablet as a tool for inmate management. The jail agreed. Continue Reading
GTL explains etablets for jail inmates
Clarion News – August 10, 2017
Clarion County Prison Board recently received information about an opportunity for county inmates to use digital tablets. The board was also given a demonstration. Clarion County Jail’s phone vendor GTL had its associate account executive Allan Wirfel address concerns about inmates having access to tablets that would allow them to make phone calls, read books, pursue education, play games and purchase music. Wirfel noted the benefits of inmates having their own tablets, one being modification of inmate behavior. According to Wirfel, studies show facilities supplying tablets to inmates greatly reduce the number of assaults incidents. Continue Reading
Winnebago County Board members approve inmate tablets
23 WIFR – August 10, 2017
“There are statistics proving that an inmate who has education upon release is going to have a better chance of making it in society than coming back to jail, so reducing recidivism is our main goal and once that happens you’ll have a safer society as well,” says the Global Tel Link Account Executive, Michael Cisar. The Winnebago County Jail says it’s been proven that the tablets reduce the number of assaults to officers and to other inmates, along with the suicide rate. Continue Reading
Tablet technology beneficial for Pima County jail inmates, officials say
KVOA News 4 Tuscon – August 7, 2017
Tablets designed to help manage inmate behavior at the Pima County jail have received an education upgrade. “We can take classes on this; we can take anger management and get certificates. There’s GED help books,” said Blake Harms, one of about 1,700 inmates currently using the tablets supplied and funded by Global Tel Link. Captain Sean Stewart with the Pima County Sheriff’s Department emphasized the tablets are a privilege. “For every dollar spent on training and education, you save $10 on incarceration fees,” Stewart said. Continue Reading
Video Visitation
Corrections Forum Magazine – July / August 2017 Edition
Brian Deuster, product manager, Video Initiatives, at Reston, Va.- based GTL points out that video visitation technology can particularly benefit small children who may be negatively affected by a visit to a corrections facility. Video visitation eliminates the crowds, the security, the pat downs, going through metal detectors, and having to wait for extended periods of time. Continue Reading
Contraband Frustration
Corrections Forum Magazine – July / August 2017 Edition
Chris Pickering, Intelligence Tools Team Lead at GTL, notes that Managed Access Systems (MAS) are crucial in fighting contraband phones. Continue Reading
GTL Tests VR Platform with Inmate Control Group
Correctional News – August 1, 2017
Virtual reality continues to make its way into the corrections market, despite pushback from officials who see VR as a form of entertainment rather than therapy. The latest: GTL, a Reston-based correctional technology company that provides education solutions to assist in inmate rehabilitation, announced on July 10 that it built a virtual reality platform for the corrections market that will soon be piloted by an inmate control group. Continue Reading
