Affordability, Accountability, Innovation and Reform

Aventiv Technologies and Platinum Equity today announced the appointment of Yusef Jackson as a senior executive at the company and advisor to the ownership group. Mr. Jackson will help Aventiv’s corrections subsidiary, Securus Technologies, expand and implement an ongoing operational transformation to make current products and services more affordable and accessible, and develop new offerings that help create better outcomes for incarcerated individuals.

He also will facilitate external partnerships with leaders from the civic, educational, and corporate communities; and deepen internal programs to ensure a more diverse workforce at Aventiv that is more connected to the people it serves. Beyond the company and its operations, Mr. Jackson will help advise the ownership team at Platinum Equity as it considers partnerships for the company.

Platinum Equity CEO Tom Gores said: “We are proud of the reform work Aventiv and Securus have already executed, but we know there is much more to do to drive meaningful change in the company and industry. We are confident that Yusef can affect change through innovation.”

“Yusef brings needed expertise and perspective to our executive team,” said Aventiv Technologies CEO Dave Abel. “He will play a vital role not only in expanding our reform efforts, but also in broadening our view as we look both inward and outward with respect to employee, customer, and community stakeholders.”

Mr. Jackson said that one of his first courses of action will be to review data and speak with both the families of those incarcerated and members of the incarceration community – past and present. “While I know Securus has undertaken a similar effort, it is important that I understand not only the data, but hear first-hand from affected individuals,” he said.

“The correctional services industry provides critical technology products and services to incarcerated Americans, but the business practices employed by the industry have been rightly criticized and are long overdue for reform.”

Mr. Jackson said that Aventiv and Platinum have demonstrated a clear commitment to transforming the industry. “If I didn’t believe that, I wouldn’t have accepted this position. I am proud to be working with Dave Abel and his leadership team in their effort to improve the company and take their reforms to the next level.” Mr. Jackson joins the Aventiv team with decades of experience as an attorney, entrepreneur, and businessman leading corporate turnarounds, as well as a lifetime of driving structural change to confront systemic racism alongside his family. He has a proven track record in bringing civic groups, religious leaders, local officials, impacted communities, and businesses together for shared causes and mutual goals. He said the vision and commitment to reform are what drew him to the opportunity.

According to research from FWD.us and Cornell University, admissions to local jails have exceeded 10 million each year for at least the last 20 years, and an estimated 6.5 million Americans have an immediate family member currently incarcerated in jail or prison. Incarceration impacts people and families from all walks of life, but disproportionately affects people of color and impoverished communities.

“There are far too many people, particularly from communities of color, caught in the cycle of incarceration,” Mr. Jackson said. “Black individuals are incarcerated five times more and Hispanics at double the rate of whites. The challenges start prior to conviction with an inability to meet the financial expectations of the system. Then, post-release, the stigma of serving time prevents many from finding a job and earning a fair wage. We cannot live up to our ideals or achieve our goals as a nation until this is fixed.”

Ninety percent of those serving time in jail and prison are ultimately released back into society and face uncertain futures without access to educational, job, and community-based second chance programs. Mr. Jackson said that in addition to the work he will be doing to help improve the affordability of communicating with family members while in prison, key areas he will focus on at Aventiv include investing in the development of job and reintegration tools for those who are incarcerated, as well as partnerships with legislators, civil rights organizations, prison reform advocates, law enforcement agencies, and others to eliminate the post-incarceration stigma.

“At Aventiv we have the opportunity to invest in the individuals most affected by the system, connecting them to their families, delivering re-entry resources, and creating a 360-degree circle of strength and real second-chance opportunities,” Mr. Jackson said. “I am motivated to affect meaningful change from the inside out in this company and industry.”

ABOUT AVENTIV TECHNOLOGIES
Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, Aventiv Technologies serves more than 3,450 public safety, law enforcement and corrections agencies and over 1,100,000 incarcerated individuals across North America, Aventiv 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. For more information, please visit www.Aventiv.com. Aventiv is a portfolio company of Platinum Equity. Founded in 1995 by Tom Gores, Platinum Equity is a global investment firm with a portfolio of approximately 40 operating companies that serve customers around the world.

Download PDF

COVID-19 Assistance Program Extends Beyond Calls, Includes 6.4 Million Free Video Connections, & 23.8 Million Free JPay Stamps

DALLAS, March 17, 2021 -- Securus Technologies today announced that the company's COVID-19 assistance program which launched in March 2020 has provided 40 million free phone calls, 6.4 million free video connections, and 23.8 million free JPay Stamps to incarcerated individuals and their loved ones. The assistance program, launched in partnership with correctional agencies across the country, has facilitated more than 320 million minutes of free phone connections alone, ensuring loved ones can stay in contact during the pandemic with those that mean the most.

In response to measures taken by jails and prisons to prevent the spread of COVID-19, Securus began offering a suite of free communications to help incarcerated individuals maintain these connections while also easing the financial burdens their friends and families are facing amid the pandemic.

"The COVID-19 pandemic impacted the entire world and rapidly changed just about every aspect of our lives.  Our robust infrastructure allowed us to step up and provide free communications across the country to ensure justice-involved families could still stay in contact during such an unforeseen epidemic, and we couldn't be more proud to be in a position to do so, said Dave Abel, President and CEO of Aventiv Technologies, parent company of Securus Technologies. "We worked closely with our facility partners to implement assistance programs as well as expand technology offerings where available to provide more options for digital communications.  I'm thankful for all the work done by our Aventiv associates, facility staff and all frontline workers.  We're in this together."

The program, launched on March 13, 2020, thus far totals:

• 40 million free call credits for incarcerated individuals and their families, resulting in 322.5 million free minutes of phone connections;
• 6.4 million free video connections to friends and families of incarcerated individuals;
• 23.8 million free JPay Stamps for electronic messaging;
• 274 thousand free monthly subscriptions to Newsstand;
• 758,600 free game downloads;
• Total accommodations for 419 agencies and 758 sites across the United States.

Securus has also offered compassion credits designed to accommodate incarcerated individuals who fall ill with COVID-19. Those credits, which are uploaded onto prepaid cards and distributed by correctional facilities, allow additional free access to Securus phone calls and video connections throughout an individual's medical care. The company is also making free calls available to public defenders at participating locations.

For those facilities enabled with Securus tablet technology, the company has introduced select free movie and game titles to provide incarcerated individuals with entertainment during the COVID-19 pandemic, which have been downloaded almost 2 million times. This expanded assistance is in addition to the no-cost resources, including educational offerings, free eBooks, podcasts and other self-help tools that are always available free of charge.

The program is an element of an ongoing transformation effort by Securus Technologies to improve access to its services and provide greater support for those impacted by incarceration. The company continues to work with its partners to garner feedback about the situation on the ground. All support from Securus will be in accordance with the latest public health guidelines to ensure that the support is tailored and responsive to the unique needs of the incarcerated community.

ABOUT SECURUS TECHNOLOGIES
Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, Aventiv Technologies serves more than 3,450 public safety, law enforcement and corrections agencies and over 1,100,000 incarcerated individuals across North America, Aventiv is committed to serve and connect by providing emergency response, incident management, public information, investigation, biometric analysis, communication, information management, incarcerated self-service, and monitoring products and services in order to make our world a safer place to live. For more information, please visit www.Aventiv.com. Aventiv is a portfolio company of Platinum Equity. Founded in 1995 by Tom Gores, Platinum Equity is a global investment firm with a portfolio of approximately 40 operating companies that serve customers around the world.

• Rates that continue to decline, bringing the nationwide average cost of a 15-minute phone call to $2.25; and
• Year to date through October, more than 50 percent of all calls on a Securus platform cost less than $1.00.

• Eliminating third-party financial service fees on vendors like Western Union and MoneyGram that resulted in a 50 percent savings for customers.
• Introducing paySupreme™, a pre-paid card that allows friends and family of incarcerated individuals to send money to a loved one’s trust account at a 30 percent discounted rate.
• Announced a new subscription pricing model for phone calls designed to provide consumers with a simple, pre-set monthly charge that allows for even more phone conversations with loved ones while simplifying billing and payment. The pilot will be available by the end of 2020 at select sites.

• Education, Reentry, & Recidivism
  • Finalized partnership with Televerde – which aligns with Aventiv’s Second Chance Hiring Principles and commitment to further invest in re-entry services — employing forty-five incarcerated women to support customer service efforts with the goal of increasing quality service and empathy in interacting with consumers.  The program’s comprehensive offerings provides real-life job experience, certification and skills and professional development that will change their lives for the better.
    • According to a recent study conducted by Arizona State University’s Seidman Research Institute, incarcerated women who work with Televerde have a recidivism rate that is 91 percent lower than the national average of women released from state prisons according to the Bureau of justice Statistics. 
    • 94 percent of all Televerde graduates are still employed five years after their release and they earn four times the salary of other formerly incarcerated women who did not participate in the program.
  • Deepened commitments to educational offerings and celebrating the 600th degree conferral from our post-secondary Lantern program.
  • Added more than 600 new students to the post-secondary Ashland University program across Arizona, Missouri and North Dakota.
  • Expanded CourseShare content providers by adding Academy of Hope and AccomplishED Ventures.
     
• Listening & Responsiveness
  • Hosting regular virtual meetings with stakeholders that include facility administrators, elected officials, current and former regulators, industry advocates, families of incarcerated Americans, and the formerly incarcerated to facilitate conversation and better meet their needs.
  • Engaging conversations led to the organization’s eBook catalog to be published on Aventiv.com, helping to provide more transparency for the free offering.
     
• Technology & Innovation
  • Continuing to invest in the physical infrastructure of the facilities that partner with Aventiv, the organization has invested more than 40 million dollars in technologies in 2020 to date.
  • Launching the new JPS6 tablet and Securus Unity software platform to provide more advanced technological options for incarcerated Americans.
  • Utilizing Securus Technologies’ suite of investigative and security tools, the organization was able to intercept more than 7,000 cases of suspicious activity since January 1, 2020, including threats, violence, witness tampering, financial fraud and other unlawful actions.

• 30.2 million free calls, totaling 215.9 million free minutes of phone connections
• 5.5 million free video connections
• 16.1 million free JPay Stamps for electronic messaging to 507,000 incarcerated individuals
• 172,729 free monthly subscriptions to Newsstand
• 613,788 free game downloads

DALLAS, Oct. 5, 2020 -- Securus Technologies is proud to announce the company will be donating fifty percent of proceeds from the company's "Fight Against Breast Cancer" suite of eCards to the American Cancer Society (ACS) to help in the fight against a disease that takes thousands of lives each year.  According to cancer.org, breast cancer death rates in the U.S. are higher than those for women than any other cancer, besides lung cancer.  Donating financial support to the ACS will help to fund and conduct cancer research, support patients and spread the word about prevention.

The cost to attach an eCard to an email is one Stamp, and the proceeds from all the Stamps used in the month of October for the "Fight Against Breast Cancer" eCard category will be donated to the ACS.  Incarcerated individuals along with their loved ones in almost 40 states can purchase and attach any of the 20 customer-crafted greeting cards celebrating hope for breast cancer survivors and all those touched by the disease. 

"Too many mothers, daughters, sisters and friends are battling this disease – it has to stop," said Jade Trombetta, Senior Manager, Communications and Social Media for Securus Technologies.  "We have proudly supported this cause for years and thank all other organizations and individuals who prominently wear pink and support the fight against breast cancer during the month of October, and throughout the year.  Together we can beat this."

"We envision a future where our daughters –our children –will no longer live with the threat of breast cancer," said the National Leadership Team for the American Cancer Society. "Unfortunately, that future is at risk. The impact of COVID-19 will reduce our ability to fund cancer research by 50% in 2020 --our lowest investment this century if current trends continue. We can't and won't allow progress to be put on hold because of COVID-19. At risk are more and better treatments and discoveries that will improve and save lives."

ABOUT SECURUS TECHNOLOGIES

Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, Securus Technologies, a subsidiary of Aventiv Technologies, serves more than 3,450 public safety, law enforcement and corrections agencies and over 1,100,000 incarcerated individuals across North America.  The Aventiv organization is committed to providing emergency response, incident management, public information, investigation, biometric analysis, communication, information management, incarcerated self-service, and monitoring products and services in order to make our world a safer place to live. For more information, please visit www.Aventiv.com. Aventiv is a portfolio company of Platinum Equity. Founded in 1995 by Tom Gores, Platinum Equity is a global investment firm with a portfolio of approximately 40 operating companies that serve customers around the world.

ABOUT THE AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY

The American Cancer Society is a global grassroots force of nearly 1.5 million volunteers dedicated to saving lives, celebrating lives, and leading the fight for a world without cancer. From breakthrough research, to free lodging near treatment, a 24/7/365 live helpline, free rides to treatment, and convening powerful activists to create awareness and impact, the American Cancer Society is attacking cancer from every angle. Visit cancer.org for more information.

DALLAS, Sept. 29, 2020 -- Securus Technologies today introduced the organization's newest digital offering to the corrections industry, the Securus Unity Platform. As the pioneers of tablet technology, Securus leveraged the organization's nearly ten-years of tablet knowledge and practical in-facility experience to build a software platform that can be customized to operate in any correctional environment. The comprehensive software is only available on the new JP6S tablet and services are delivered completely wirelessly. Additionally, a significant benefit of the Securus Unity Platform is providing access to critical content such as free education and re-entry resources to all incarcerated individuals where the software is available.

The Securus Unity tablet software enables incarcerated individuals to more directly engage in their own educational, vocational, health and communication development and minimizes dependence on availability of in-person resources.  In a facility environment that has nonstop activity, providing solutions that improve efficiency and maintain security are top priority.  The Securus Unity Platform was built to make it simple for facility staff to administer and manage tablet usage with the ability to regulate and message individual users, the entire population, or a segmented group of individuals. With built-in wireless capabilities, the JP6S delivers the Securus Unity Platform wirelessly, removing the need for kiosks which eliminates burdens such as long lines to sync tablets for upgrades or send and receive communications.  The comprehensive platform comes equipped with the full suite of Securus applications and each facility determines the applications they would like to offer their population. 

"We are the most experienced tablet technology provider in corrections with nearly a decade of knowledge and learnings from introducing new programs, customizing solutions, advancing security measures and accessing invaluable user feedback.  We used all of it to build the Securus Unity Platform," said Dave Abel, President and CEO of Aventiv Technologies, parent company of Securus Technologies.

The Securus Unity Platform can operate on different delivery models through the JP6S devices to accommodate the various needs of prison and jail facilities.  For example, the Community Tablet model makes devices available for daily use to the entire population with free access to critical content such as educational programming, re-entry resources, addiction recovery services and more applications built to prepare individuals for success upon release. There are no charges for access time, tablet usage, ebooks, podcasts or educational resources.  Individuals can subscribe to a MakeMine account, which is a monthly subscription model that creates access to paid applications on the JP6S devices such as media, e-messaging and phone-on-tablet on any Community device.  Facilities can also offer a Personal Tablet model, providing each incarcerated individual with their own device to access the same free critical content as well as paid applications.  The device hardware is returned to the facility once the individual is released and is automatically converted back to a Community Tablet. Facility staff operate the Command and Control Officer Tablets to help manage and control usage, deploy information and other security features to help increase safety.

"We are the most experienced tablet technology provider in corrections with nearly a decade of knowledge and learnings from introducing new programs, customizing solutions, advancing security measures and accessing invaluable user feedback.  We used all of it to build the Securus Unity Platform," said Dave Abel, President and CEO of Aventiv Technologies, parent company of Securus Technologies. "The platform is smart, empowers incarcerated users with access to features and services they want and creates efficiencies for our customers. We are committed to investing in the incarcerated community and proud of the work that went into this level of innovation."

Availability of the Securus Unity Platform varies by agency.

About Securus Technologies LLC

Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, Securus Technologies, a subsidiary of Aventiv Technologies, serves more than 3,450 public safety, law enforcement and corrections agencies and over 1,100,000 incarcerated individuals across North America.  The Aventiv organization is committed to providing emergency response, incident management, public information, investigation, biometric analysis, communication, information management, incarcerated self-service, and monitoring products and services in order to make our world a safer place to live. For more information, please visit www.Aventiv.com. Aventiv is a portfolio company of Platinum Equity. Founded in 1995 by Tom Gores, Platinum Equity is a global investment firm with a portfolio of approximately 40 operating companies that serve customers around the world.

“We are proud to have reduced third-party financial transaction fees by more than 50 percent for our telephone account customers,” said Dave Abel, president and CEO of Aventiv Technologies, parent company of Securus Technologies.

DALLAS, Sept. 2, 2020 -- Securus Technologies today announces that its Lantern Program has helped 600 incarcerated students earn bachelors and associates degrees from its partner, Ashland University. Created in 2016, Lantern is a first-of-its-kind learning management system built specifically for corrections to provide incarcerated students access to digital education. It has grown to become the largest digital education program for the incarcerated in the U.S.

Lantern is an interactive, cross-functional, and full-service education platform, built to provide incarcerated individuals access to digital college courses so incarcerated individuals can work towards earning their college degree.   The program features corrections-grade tablets and draws content from a network of reputable academic providers. In addition to Lantern, incarcerated individuals also have access to GED prep courses, personal development content and thousands of free KA Lite educational videos, which have been downloaded more than 22 million times across subjects ranging from accounting to astronomy.

"Education changes lives and for those working to return home it is a critical step. Six hundred individuals have earned their college degree, either during incarceration or post-release, and there will be many more," said Dave Abel, president and CEO of Aventiv Technologies, parent company of Securus Technologies. "We're extremely proud of this milestone and we look forward to celebrating many more graduations."

"Education changes lives and for those working to return home it is a critical step. Six hundred individuals have earned their college degree, either during incarceration or post-release, and there will be many more," said Dave Abel, president and CEO of Aventiv Technologies, parent company of Securus Technologies. "We're extremely proud of this milestone and we look forward to celebrating many more graduations."

Securus Technologies helps prepare incarcerated individuals for reentry by providing education, self-help, entertainment, and communication resources. Users have the ability to learn important job skills and access education at no cost, not only to improve their lives, but also to better their communities.

"Earning a college degree can change the trajectory of a person's life, whether they're incarcerated or not," said Todd Marshall, Ph.D., Vice President for Correctional Education and Innovation at Ashland University. "We partnered with Securus because we knew the value it would bring; the fact that it has grown to this size gives us great hope for the future of the program."

"Lantern got me back on track, challenging me to improve myself and focus on reentering society with a degree that would open doors," said M.R., former Lantern student. "For many in the incarcerated community, access to technology and access to education are nearly impossible. The fact that Securus provides these education resources at no cost changed my life.  I'm now working towards my Master's Degree; ten years ago I would have never even dreamed of earning any kind of degree."

For more information, visit the Lantern program website.

ABOUT SECURUS TECHNOLOGIES:
Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, an Aventiv Technologies company, serving more than 3,450 public safety, law enforcement and corrections agencies and over 1,200,000 incarcerated individuals 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, incarcerated individual self-service, and monitoring products and services in order to make our world a safer place to live. Securus Technologies connecting what matters®. For more information, please visit SecurusTechnologies.com. Aventiv is a portfolio company of Platinum Equity. Founded in 1995 by Tom Gores, Platinum Equity is a global investment firm with a portfolio of approximately 40 operating companies that serve customers around the world.

Company Has Now Added New Members to Senior Leadership Team From Outside Traditional Corrections Sector
 

DALLAS, Aug. 10, 2020 -- Just six months since launching a transformation agenda under new CEO Dave Abel, Aventiv Technologies and its corrections-services subsidiary, Securus Technologies, today reported significant progress in accelerating an expansive, holistic reform of corporate policies and practices. 

Education, reentry and recidivism represent one of the key pillars in the transformation effort.  An additional 13,456 incarcerated students gained access to post-secondary educational programming through Securus' digital education platform since March alone, a critical connection to help improve recidivism rates. 

In addition to enrolling thousands for free educational programming, Aventiv deepened its commitment to supporting re-entry services and creating opportunities for the formerly incarcerated. For example, so far in 2020, the company has:

• Provided initial seed funding to help launch Freedom Rides, a non-profit that assists formerly incarcerated individuals in purchasing vehicles so they can safely travel to jobs or classes.
• Built upon the existing corporate job application that "bans the box" and broadened hiring practices by defining allowable types of felony convictions and specified roles to which limits apply.
• Signed the Society for Human Resource Management's Getting Talent Back to Work Pledge and 10% of new hires since January have prior records.

In addition to efforts centered around education, the organization also furthered its responsibility to execute against commitments made in January, which include:

• Accessibility and affordability:
  • Securus renegotiated contracts with 56 correctional agencies, reducing call rates that had previously exceeded national averages.
  • Securus began offering commission-free and agency-paid options for telephone calls to both existing and new institutional customers.
• Technology and Innovation:
  • Aventiv has invested more than $2.3 million in new infrastructure and the development of new technology including further strengthening cyber security measures.
• Transparency
  • The company initiated a process to develop a terms-of-use policy to memorialize comprehensive data privacy standards for its products. That policy will now be released by the end of 2020 due to COVID-19.
  • Aventiv commissioned a cost analysis by an independent third-party, which is on-track to be released by the end of 2020.
• Listening and responsiveness:
  • Despite the challenges of COVID-19, Aventiv leadership continued an ongoing series of listening sessions with advocates for the incarcerated, individuals impacted by incarceration, and correctional and communications experts. Stay-at-home orders severely limited in person access, and CEO Dave Abel continued holding virtual sessions continued throughout the second quarter.

"In January we said we were going to change the way this company operates, and make our services more affordable and accessible," said Dave Abel, President and CEO of Aventiv Technologies. "Since then we've made real progress toward that goal while also modifying our 2020 blueprint to heavily focus on providing supplementary support for our customers since the entire nation was jolted by the impact of COVID-19. The need for human connection - particularly during a pandemic - drove a shift in priority and we're proud of the efforts we have made to date.  We know there's more work to be done, and we'll continue to work closely with our agency partners to drive positive change in the correctional technology industry."

Against the backdrop of the devastating and wide-spread impact of COVID-19, organizations nationwide rethought operations, accessibility and introduce thoughtful approaches to supporting customer needs; especially those serving vulnerable communities such as the incarcerated.  Since the onset of the COVID-19 outbreak, Aventiv has worked with its partners across the United States to provide millions of credits for free e-messages as well as free and reduced rates for video chats and phone calls. To date the company has provided:

• Accommodations for 397 agencies at 737 distinct facilities.
• 22.4 million free call credits for incarcerated individuals and their families, resulting in 170.8 million free minutes of phone connections
• 4.9 million free video connections to friends and families of incarcerated individuals
• 10.6 million free JPay Stamps for electronic messaging

Aventiv Technologies launched in October 2019 as part of a corporate reorganization reflective of the company's progression with distinct business lines for government payments (AllPaid) and corrections services (Securus Technologies and JPay). Since being acquired by Platinum Equity the company has undergone substantial changes with a major emphasis on eliminating certain past practices, enhancing and expanding others, and transforming from a traditional corrections telecommunications service provider into a broad technology innovator.

To see a full list of Aventiv's commitments and ongoing updates on the company's progress, visit http://transformation.aventiv.com/.

ABOUT AVENTIV TECHNOLOGIES
Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, Aventiv Technologies serves more than 3,450 public safety, law enforcement and corrections agencies and over 1,100,000 incarcerated individuals across North America, Aventiv 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. For more information, please visit www.Aventiv.com. Aventiv is a portfolio company of Platinum Equity. Founded in 1995 by Tom Gores, Platinum Equity is a global investment firm with a portfolio of approximately 40 operating companies that serve customers around the world.

• According to company officials, the average cost of a call using the company’s secure calling platform has been reduced significantly as of late July.
• The company has developed and deployed new technology to reduce reliance on third-party payment services, eliminating their fees and bringing savings to impacted consumers.
• The company convened consumer forum with formerly incarcerated individuals and their families in Detroit to hear firsthand about their experiences and how to better serve which will be used to inform future development efforts.
• As the country still copes with the COVID-19 pandemic which has severely impacted prison populations, the company has partnered with local governments to provide millions of free calls and more than 80 million free minutes to incarcerated individuals and their families.
• In a nod to changing times centered around criminal justice reform, the company has pivoted to planning for a welcomed future that forecasts falling incarceration numbers.

Platinum Equity Chairman and CEO Tom Gores sent the following correspondence today in response to a letter dated May 20, 2020 from former FCC Commissioners Mignon Clyburn, Michael Copps, and Gloria Tristani requesting that Securus Technologies, a Platinum Equity portfolio company, take steps to support incarcerated individuals and their families during the COVID-19 pandemic:

June 5, 2020

Dear Commissioners Clyburn, Copps and Tristani:

Thank you for your May 20 correspondence, and for your continued efforts in support of robust and affordable communications services, particularly in the corrections environment. We are pleased to support those same goals both in concept and in action, as change agents who are transforming Securus Technologies and the industry as a whole.

We agree wholeheartedly that access to reasonably priced telephone service is more important than ever for the country’s incarcerated population in the face of restrictions on in-person visitation caused by the coronavirus crisis.

On March 13, the day COVID-19 was declared a national emergency in the United States, Securus began offering free and discounted services to every one of its state and county corrections agency customers.

Since then, the company has provided 16.1 million free phone calls totaling 116.2 million free minutes; 4.5 million free video connections; and 6.6 million free email message stamps to incarcerated individuals (and their families) at more than 731 facilities. In addition to the calls themselves being free, there are no funding or transaction fees associated with them.

The company has also provided additional free calling cards, or “compassion credits,” to connect incarcerated individuals who have fallen ill during the pandemic with their loved ones; provided free phone calls between incarcerated individuals and public defenders in certain locations where permitted; and created an inbound email system by providing printers and supplies at 33 locations in California where incarcerated individuals do not have access to individualized email.

Beyond communications connections, Securus also is providing free access to select games and movies on its tablets in facility locations where permitted. So far, more than 500,000 movie rentals and nearly 1 million games have been downloaded or accessed without charge since April.

Further, the company has signed the FCC’s Keep Americans Connected Pledge, Chairman Pai’s initiative focused on mitigating the pandemic’s impact on telecommunications access.

All of these actions to support individuals impacted by COVID-19 are part of a broader effort to transform the company and make services more accessible and affordable for incarcerated individuals and their loved ones.

In January, CEO Dave Abel announced a number of commitments that include lowering the costs of phone calls and other communications products, increasing transparency, and engaging directly with communities impacted by incarceration.

Those transformation efforts haven’t come in a vacuum. They were mandated by Platinum Equity after acquiring the business in 2017. I am happy to report that since then, prices for Securus calling services have fallen by more than 30 percent.

To cite just one example: In Washtenaw County, where your letter cites information claiming that a 10-minute call “would cost about $11.62,” current rates are actually substantially lower. Under the current contract there, the rates are $0.21 per minute for all calls, or $2.10 for a 10-minute call – even with a substantial commission retained by the corrections agency under its contract.

Well before the COVID crisis, Inmate Calling Service rates at Securus were steadily declining even in the absence of FCC-imposed caps on intrastate rates, falling on average by about 50% since the FCC issued the 2013 Interstate Inmate Rate Order.

All of Securus’ rates for interstate calls are at or below the per-minute rates set by the FCC in the 2013 Interstate Rate Order, and its fees are in compliance with those promulgated in the FCC’s 2015 Inmate Rate Order. On an intrastate level, Securus’ rates are in compliance with the applicable state PUC / PSC rules and regulations.

Platinum Equity appointed CEO Dave Abel to transform Securus; establish a culture of service focused on the needs of incarcerated consumers and their families and not just on corrections agency customers; reduce telecom pricing; and invest in developing new technologies.

Dave and his team are making significant progress on those objectives. With your permission, I’d like to make them available to meet with you and discuss these reforms directly, to listen to your thoughts, and to consider ideas on what we can do better, faster or both.

Thank you again for your long record for public service on these issues, and for your willingness to work with us on these shared objectives.

Best regards,

Tom Gores

About Securus Technologies

Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, and serving more than 3,450 public safety, law enforcement and corrections agencies and over 1,200,000 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 connecting what matters®. For more information, please visit SecurusTechnologies.tech.

Accomplishments reflect a positive shift in accessibility and ongoing engagement with key stakeholders

Aventiv Technologies and its corrections-services subsidiary, Securus Technologies, today reported progress on key milestones of the transformation commitments announced in mid-January. Under the direction of President and CEO Dave Abel, the organization is undertaking an expansive and holistic transformation to make its products more accountable, affordable and accessible. The pace of the early progress in the multi-year effort highlights the company’s ability to quickly adapt to the new vision and operating practices.

“While we recognize that this work is just the first step in a long-term process, we are very proud of what we have already achieved,” said Dave Abel, President and CEO of Aventiv Technologies. “I am dedicated to driving meaningful change in the organization, in the sector and in the communities we serve. We are continuing much-needed face-to-face conversations with all stakeholders – we need to work together on this.”

In the first sixty days since Aventiv made these commitments, the company took multiple steps towards full achievement of its goals, including:

• Developed and deployed new technology to reduce reliance on third-party payment services, eliminating their fees and bringing savings to impacted consumers by an average of 30% in the total cost of each call.
• Negotiated new contract with a major county customer lowering the cost of phone calls by more than 60% for over 6,000 incarcerated individuals and their loved ones.
• Integrated commission-free and agency-paid options for telephone calls with both existing institutional customers and potential new institutional customers.
• Convened first quarterly consumer forum with formerly incarcerated individuals and their families in Detroit to hear firsthand about their experiences and how to better serve them which will be used to inform future development efforts.
• Met with leaders and participants of job-training and -placement organizations currently operating inside and outside of correctional facilities to learn about employment best practices and help guide development of re-entry support.
• Signed the Getting Talent Back to Work pledge from the Society for Human Resource Management and committed to give hiring opportunities to deserving individuals with a criminal record.
• Sponsored the Second Annual Correctional Education Reentry Summit hosted by Ashland University and supported the participation of formerly incarcerated students of the University.

“Aventiv’s efforts to expand and invest in correctional education services will lead to more successful re-entry outcomes and reduced rates of recidivism, ultimately saving taxpayers money in the long-term,” said Todd Marshall, Vice President for Correctional Education and Innovation at Ashland University. “We have proudly worked with the organization for years and look forward to their participation in this year’s Re-Entry Summit, leading the charge to building connections to improve the reintegration and reengagement of formerly incarcerated individuals back into their communities.”

Additional initiatives and progress on milestones will be publicly detailed quarterly.

About Securus Technologies

Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, and serving more than 3,450 public safety, law enforcement and corrections agencies and over 1,200,000 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 connecting what matters®. For more information, please visit SecurusTechnologies.tech.

Mr. Abel Announces Accelerated Transformation Program Focused On Affordability, Accountability, Innovation and Reform

DALLAS, Jan. 13, 2020 -- Technology and government services executive Dave Abel has been named President and Chief Executive Officer of Aventiv Technologies and its corrections services subsidiary Securus Technologies, effective immediately.

"Dave is an innovative leader who we recruited in April to develop and accelerate an ambitious business transformation program for Securus," said Bryan Kelln, president of portfolio operations at Platinum Equity, which owns the companies.

"We are pleased to take the next step with his appointment as CEO, and excited about his plans for making Aventiv and Securus more accountable, more affordable, more accessible and more attentive to the needs of both customers and consumers," Mr. Kelln said.

As his first order of business, Mr. Abel announced an ambitious multi-year transformation effort that he said will "acknowledge past criticism, pursue present opportunities and lead future innovation."

"The role of technology in government and corrections is evolving, and Aventiv and Securus are at the forefront of that evolution," Mr. Abel said. "The industry is changing, and we intend to embrace it. We will be the change."

Mr. Abel acknowledged that both the company and the industry have faced criticism in the past over pricing, data security, product innovation and other issues.

He said that under his leadership the companies would seek the proper balance between the needs of customers, the corrections agencies that contract for the companies' products and services; consumers, the incarcerated individuals and their families who use those products and services; and public policy officials who oversee corrections facilities, their operations and their vendors.

"We have the opportunity – and the responsibility – to address the financial and social needs of the communities we serve, making our services more affordable and accessible while continuing to innovate and help our government partners keep those communities safe and secure," he said.

Securus has undergone substantial change since being acquired by Platinum Equity, with a major emphasis on eliminating certain past practices, enhancing and expanding others, and transforming from a traditional corrections telecommunications service provider into a broad technology innovator.

"We have the opportunity – and the responsibility – to address the financial and social needs of the communities we serve, making our services more affordable and accessible while continuing to innovate and help our government partners keep those communities safe and secure," said Dave Abel.

Aventiv Technologies launched in October 2019 as part of a corporate reorganization reflective of the company's progression with distinct business lines for government payments (AllPaid) and corrections services (Securus Technologies and JPay).

"Technology at its best is an engine of change," said Mr. Kelln of Platinum. "As the owners of Aventiv, we are keenly aware of the calls for change and steadfast in our determination to forge a new way forward.

"To that end, we have asked Dave to take the reins of the entire organization as we jointly execute on an overhaul of the agenda," he said. "Under his leadership, Aventiv will clearly demonstrate new values, supporting community needs and creating benefit for all stakeholders."

COMMITMENTS

Building on previous reforms that have already been implemented, Mr. Abel committed to accelerating in 2020 an expansive, holistic reform of corporate policies and practices. The full scope of the program will be announced in the weeks ahead, but Mr. Abel today previewed some of the initiatives that will be included:

1.  Accessibility and Affordability    

• While Securus has reduced the average cost of calls by 30% over the past 3 years, not all consumers felt the same relief.  The company pledges to work with all our institutional customers to broaden rate relief for more consumers by targeting the elimination of legacy outlier rates and reinvesting in the development innovations and tools to further reduce costs.
• In 2019 Securus became the only service provider to announce full neutrality on the presence of site commissions and the provision of products regardless of the funding source and model determined by each locality.  The organization will build on that in 2020 by working with all interested institutional customers on implementing these lower-cost-to-consumer alternatives.
• Securus will reduce the application of third-party funding fees by investing in technology solutions where possible -- and negotiating lower rates where outside vendors are still required -- to provide savings to consumers of at least 35% on these fees by year end.

2.  Transparency

• Securus will provide a clear and simple recitation of call rates to both customers and consumers, ensuring that those call rates are always available online and at the time of each call before they are accepted.
• The Company will commission an annual report of inmate calling costs, produced and published by an independent third party, including a breakdown of what is being charged beyond the specific cost of the call (for example, additional costs necessary for the provision of safety protocols and service).
• Securus will publish by the middle of this year an industry-leading report detailing a terms-of-use policy for its products, and memorializing comprehensive data privacy standards.

3.  Education, Reentry and Recidivism

• Securus will immediately sign the Society for Human Resource Management Getting Talent Back to Work Pledge.
• The Company will contribute at least $3 million in 2020 to efforts focused on reducing recidivism rates and improving reentry rates, including support for The Securus Foundation to connect justice agencies more closely to their communities utilizing technology.
• The Company will create a post-incarceration scholarship program to facilitate the completion of post-secondary degrees begun under Securus' existing educational product and service opportunities.  

4.  Listening and Responsiveness  

• Mr. Abel and other company executives will meet each quarter with families and individuals personally impacted by incarceration to hear their recommendations and address their concerns about the company's products and services.
• Company leaders will also meet with corrections facility customers, correctional trade associations and advocates of alternative incarceration approaches to hear their recommendations and hear their concerns.

5.  Technology and Innovation

• Securus pledges to invest at least $40 million this year in facility communication infrastructure for the advancement of public safety and community needs. 
• The Company will devote at least $30 million to fund innovations in the development of secure products to take on the ever-evolving challenges facing correctional agencies in the new decade.

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

Mr. Abel joined Securus as President in April of 2019, recruited from outside the industry to bring new ideas and urgency with respect to accelerating and expanding the reform agenda and technology transformation mandated by Platinum Equity. Most of his career has been dedicated to helping governments use technology to improve mission effectiveness and lower costs to taxpayers and consumers.

Prior to joining Aventiv, he founded and ran a business focused on performance improvement and software automation. As an executive at IBM and a partner at PwC, Mr. Abel was responsible for turning around and growing service and software businesses worldwide. While applying technology to some of society's greatest challenges, he is known for balancing the often competing needs of security, privacy and consumer value.

About Aventiv Technologies
Headquartered in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, Aventiv Technologies is the parent company for Securus Technologies, JPay and AllPaid. With nearly 2,000 associates, Aventiv serves the public sector by applying technology solutions to make complex connections more secure and simpler than ever before. For more information, please visit www.Aventiv.com