Video Visitation System improves safety in corrections facilities.

Press Release Summary:



Securus Video Visitation consists of multipurpose touchscreen terminals, running ConnectUs inmate platform, installed in housing units. This enables visitation to be conducted without inmate transport. To safeguard against illegal activity, service can also provide automated approved and banned visitors lists, and all non-attorney video visitations are recorded. Scheduling ensures those waiting are only those with appointments, which eliminates overcrowded waiting areas.



Original Press Release:



Securus Technologies Announces Improved Safety Through Video Visitation



Video Visitation Improves Safety by Reducing Inmate Movement, Recording Non-Attorney Visits, and Providing Visitation Scheduling to Reduce Overcrowded Waiting Areas.



DALLAS -- Securus Technologies, a leading provider of civil and criminal justice technology solutions for public safety, investigations, corrections, and monitoring, announced today that its video visitation services are improving safety in corrections facilities.



With current visitation processes, inmates have to be transferred from their housing units to a visitation center, often requiring 2-3 officers for each inmate. With reduced corrections budgets, this often means officers hand off inmates from one corridor to another while visually watching the inmate to ensure he makes it to the next corridor. This movement poses many threats that can disrupt the safety of officers, personnel, and inmates alike. With limited staff, each time officers are escorting inmates, it means they aren't able to perform other more critical functions of maintaining safety and security of the jail. The safest place for inmates is in their housing unit, so escorting inmates introduces unnecessary risk.



With Securus Video Visitation, multi-purpose touch-screen terminals running Securus' proprietary inmate platform, ConnectUs, are installed in the housing units so that visitation can be conducted without transporting inmates anywhere. This is a primary reason many correctional facilities are moving away from traditional visitation to video visitation.



Through Securus' Video Visitation software, the service also has the ability to provide automated approved visitor lists and banned visitors. This helps ensure that people who aren't supposed to talk to inmates don't. The system will automatically deny visitation with those included on the banned list ensuring court orders and other restrictions are upheld to safeguard further illegal activity.



All non-attorney video visitations are recorded, which wasn't possible before. While many visitations are completely benign, some communications can have a criminal intent. The duty falls upon the Sheriff or Jailer to ensure criminal activity is prevented. These recordings are an invaluable tool to catch or deter further criminal activity. Even when traditional visitation is recorded through the phones, visual evidence cannot be obtained whether it's related to motions or the person itself. Video visitation solves that.



Video Visitation also reduces tension in the visitation center by providing scheduling so those waiting are only those with appointments. This eliminates over-crowded waiting areas that exist today, which create potentially hostile situations for visitors.



Richard A. "Rick" Smith, CEO of Securus Technologies said, "Our mission is to Serve and Connect, to make our world safe. This revolutionary service does exactly that. It increases visitation possibilities, which helps reduce recidivism. It introduces visitation scheduling and recording of all non-attorney visits which doesn't exist today. It reduces inmate movement, increasing officer and inmate safety, which is good."



Smith said, "Over the past several years, Securus has invested $32 million to install corrections-grade multi-purpose touch-screen devices that allow for video visitation services to inmates and their family and friends. That is the future--better/fuller visitations, safer visitations, lower recidivism, happier family/friends and inmates, and more efficient correctional operations--brought to you by Securus and our corrections partners."



"I estimate that corrections could save approximately $1 billion annually in labor costs by moving to full video visitation use, and family and friends could save $2 billion annually in time, travel, parking, and time off work, by using the full features of video. These are staggering numbers, but certainly possible by the use of video visitation technology. The question is not if this is possible, but when will we all realize the wonderful benefits," said Smith.



ABOUT SECURUS TECHNOLOGIES

Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, and serving more than 2,600 public safety, law enforcement and corrections agencies and over 1,000,000 inmates across North America, Securus Technologies is committed to serve and connect by providing emergency response, incident management, public information, investigation, biometric analysis, communication, information management, inmate self-service, and monitoring products and services in order to make our world a safer place to live.  Securus Technologies focuses on connecting what matters(®).  To learn more about our full suite of civil and criminal justice technology solutions, please visit SecurusTechnologies.com.



CONTACT: Russell Roberts, 972-277-0656, rroberts@securustechnologies.com

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