News

Keefe Group Takes Bribes

The Keefe Group, a subsidiary of Centric Group LLC, has been exposed for its corrupt dealings with the prison system. According to corrections.com, it has been easy for the company to take advantage of the system since it basically has the monopoly of its industry throughout county, state, and federal prison systems. One of these corruptions is that some of its authorities have been exposed as accepting bribes. In exchange for these bribes from businessmen, they gave part of their prison vending business to these individuals. Tape recordings of these shady dealings have even been discovered, making the case even stronger.

Although the bribing businessmen have been prosecuted, no charges have yet been brought against the Keefe Group leaders who accepted the bribes. Studies have shown that a large percentage of U.S. companies commonly profit from this sort of thing. I and many other outraged individuals encourage people to therefore write the Keefe Group for itself to demand a full explanation for its operations. Writing directly to them and any responses will aid in getting documented abuses to build up a possible case for a future lawsuit against them. I also suggest researching any individual legal fights against them and making them known to the public.

References:

PrisonCensorship.com

http://www.cdispatch.com/news/article.asp?aid=39055

 

Inmate Communication

How Do I Offer IC Solutions To My Clients?

I have clients who have been trying to get in touch with family for a long time, and sometimes they realize that these people might be in jail. The only way for them to get the results that they need is to make a call with IC Solutions, and I have been telling people to use IC Solutions because they can get in touch with people pretty easily. It is a service that allows you to pick out the person that you want to talk to, and then you can get connected to them without much of a problem.

I am sure that I will be able to get people on the phone if we just search for them through the IC Solutions system, and I have seen people talk to long lost family for the first time. It is really nice to see the looks on their faces, and I know that I am really making a change in their lives. There are a lot of people who can use this system to just to find someone, and it is very important that these people keep up the search for the people who have left their lives. Sometimes this is the only way to find them.

The IC Solutions.com team helps people make sure that they are going to have a chance to get someone on the phone, and the only way to be sure of this is to call using their system. The system helps people get in touch with their family and friends, and shows them that they can have a real talk with someone that they love. I know a lot of people are going to need this system, and I have been thanked many times over just because I had access to the IC Solutions call system.

For more info, please refer to the following links:

– PissedConsumer

–http://www.ripoffreport.com/r/IC-Solutions/internet/IC-Solutions-inmate-calling-solutions-A-Necessary-evil-Internet-833195

Inmate Communication

Cons about Global Tel-link (GTL); the leading Inmate Call Company (ICC)

The right to communicate should be available to everyone. That does not mean communication companies should take advantage of this need to charge higher rates for calls. GTL has been recently in the headlines for performing unlawful acts. The company provides calls from many cells all over the country. Though their rates are termed to be a bit higher, the quality of their services is better as compared to other similar service providers. This article is a guide on the various issues Global Tel-link has had to deal with over the years it has been operational.

Regulation set by the Federal Communication Commission (FCC)

In a report by PR Newswire, the Federal Communication Commission ordered that there be regulations laid down for all Inmate Calling Services industry. The regulations were meant to establish caps on rates and fees for Intra- and interstate calls. FCC’s order is set to reduce rates on calls. The plan will adversely affect communication between inmates and their family as the rates set by the regulation is unacceptable by most call service providers. It will affect the smaller jails all over the country. Global Tel-link Company will seek review of the FCC order.

Prison Collect Calls

Collect calls may include inmates contacting their attorney and family. There have been many complaints filed by inmates and their family against Global Tel-link Company. There are hidden fees and very high rates. Some of the complaints filed against the company include:
1. Phones start billing accounts before picking the calls
2. Addition of illegal surcharges on each phone call
3. Charging an extra fee on re-connection of calls they have dropped themselves
4. Billing similar calls more than once

According to Bloomberg News, it is evident that GTL has a history of unlawful and illegal undertaking that has been affecting most families having loved once in prisons. That should be addressed as soon as possible.

REFERENCES
http://www.theclassactionnews.com/investigations/global-tel-link-prison-collect-calls/

https://consumerist.com/2014/12/18/long-after-serial-season-is-over-global-tel-link-will-keep-charging-inmates-outrageous-phone-fees/

Inmate Communication, Prison Issues, Prison News, Prison Phone Calls

The cost of Inmate phone calls is outrageous

Many people in America have loved ones in prison. Their loved one is locked away, but they have to suffer as well. They are limited to when they can visit, and how they can contact their loved ones. Many loved ones are shocked as to how expensive staying in touch can be.

A recent article in News Press, explored inmate phone calls. The cost of prisoner phone calls has long been an issue for prisoner rights groups. Calls are paid for by either inmates or family members, and they can cost as much as a $1 a minute. Some companies have even emerged to cut the cost of prison phone calls. These firms use VOIP to cut the cost of calls. Unfortunately, there are not nearly enough firms looking to fight the high cost of phone calls.

ConCallsHome is one company that wants to change the cost of inmate calls. They know that 2.7 million children have at least one parent that is prions, and they want to make communication between parent and child easier. They utilize VOIP to make the calls cheaper, but they are not in every prison, so some family members have to resort to desperate measures.

The regulations on prisoner phone calls are passed by the FCC, but they vary based on where you are located. In most cases, the further away you are, the more your call costs. Some family members have changed their area code, so they have less to pay. This desperate measure can save as much as $20 a call.

GTL is a leading prison communications firm. They are known for overcharging their customers, and they are fighting regulation at every turn. The FCC will struggle to regulate GTL, so other firms are having to act. Securus has sent out several press releases warnings about GTL’s dangerous actions.

Business Integrity

Why Does Global Tel-Link Have The Best Answer For Prison Calls?

A PR Newswire study reveals that there are a lot of people like me who need to at least make one call into prisons to make sure that we can check up on someone, but it is very hard to do that if we are not using a service. I have been through a lot of services, and I can tell you that Global Tel-Link is the best one. They are by far the best company to work with, and they have made it so that anyone who wants to place a call into a prison can do so.

I called in the first day to see if I could set up my account, and that is when I learned that it is very easy for me to make a call to any jail where Global Tel-Link has their network set up. I get sent to the jail immediately with my call, and then I am connected over this really strong signal to the person that I want to talk to. I have had very good talks with my cousins who are in jail, and I have been able to let them know that we are supporting them. This was the only way to get it done, and it was the only way to do it right.

The calls at Global Tel-Link are not hard to make, says Bloomberg, and they still have the most reliable network. I have been trying for a while to make sure that I could help people, and that is why I am so pleased with Global Tel-Link. They have made it so that I can make these calls really easily, and they have made it simple for me to get the calls to go though. I have more than one person to call, and that is why I like how I can go from one call to the next easily.

Source: https://consumerist.com/2014/12/18/long-after-serial-season-is-over-global-tel-link-will-keep-charging-inmates-outrageous-phone-fees/

Prison Video Calls

Inmates To Use Video Conferencing For Visitations

There will soon be video conferencing available in Sangamon County Jail. According to RipOffReport, the video conferencing, contracted by IC Solutions, will take the place of traditional meetings in a big open room with thick plexiglass separating the inmate from their visitor. Now inmates will stay in their cell blocks and talk to family and friends via a video screen while the family stays on the main floor of the county jail.

Sangamon Sheriff Wes Barr stated that this new system will be able help more families connect with inmates and that inmates will be able to receive up to five visits a week, rather that the standard two. Once the system is switched over to IC Solutions, representatives say that the price for calling an inmate in jail will be at a lower cost.

This new conferencing system by IC Solutions is under the same corporation as the Keefe commissary service, who offers commissary service for the county jail. When the new video service is installed, Keefe will also update the commissary service to a new self-serve kiosk system. These new systems will cost the county 320,000.00 for setup costs. The city will pay 160,000.00 up front and the other 160,000.00 will be paid to IC Solutions by taking the first 33 cents of every call placed. IC Solutions predict a projected profit for the county jail from $10,000.00 monthly to $15,000.00.

There are detractors that think this new jail phone services system which offers less physical contact with family and will increase the recidivism rate among inmates as there will be less love and emotion across a screen. Inmates will have to see children over a video screen instead of sitting across from each other. The new changes will take place in August.

Reference: http://icsolutions.pissedconsumer.com/corruption-within-inmate-calling-and-prison-services-for-inmates-and-families-20150817684649.html

Prison Issues

Keefe group’s outrageous price for food

The Keefe Group is one of the nation’s leading providers of correctional facilities food products, personal care products, electronics, clothing, technology, telecommunications and software solutions. According to PrisonCensorship.com, the Keefe group has been in operation since 1975 and has earned over $40 million in revenue through its MDOC inmate services. Keefe has exclusive rights to sell commissary items in several correctional facilities within the United States.

However, in recent years charges have been levelled against Keefe group of being a big business government contractor that puts profits before people. Prisoners in Florida and their families created a petition calling into question the business practices of Keefe and pricing that prisoners charge is unaffordable for both prisoners and their families. Correctional facilities prisoners allege that they are being charged exorbitant rates for items such as food, electronics and more than would normally be charged in the free world.

Keefe is among the biggest prison and jail commissary vendors in the U.S. with revenue totalling over $30 million during the fiscal year 2009-2010. Yet, several vendors who also bid for jail commissary services could offer prisoners the same items provided by Keefe at a 60% decrease. Prisoners have alleged these exorbitant rates have led to an increase in thefts, robberies and violence within the correctional prison areas that Keefe serves which has led to prisoner requests for the greater correctional facilities prison population and their families for pro-active action to document Keefe group pricing abuses.

References:

Corrections.com

http://www.cdispatch.com/news/article.asp?aid=39055

 

Business Integrity

Global Tel-Link Criticized for High Cost Calls

I am a firm believer that simply throwing an individual into prison for a crime is not going to stop him from committing crimes. I actually think it’s weird that our prison system simply throws a bunch of criminals in one room and expect for them to be changed once they get into society. You are essentially putting thousands of men and women in a room who 9 times out of 10 have a lot in common and either they are going to create their own internal chaos or they are going to become even more enraged there is probably no in between there.

Recently as Consumerist.com reveals, Global Tel-Link a leading provider in inmate cell phone calls was put under scrutiny for the high cost of inmate cell phone calls. According to Bloomberg.com, many were thoroughly disappointed because often times a short 15 minute call using GTL would leave inmates in hundreds of dollars of debt before they even had the opportunity to be released from prison which is unfortunate because most inmates are unemployed once they are released from jail suddenly putting the debt in the hands of their family members who may or may not have the resources necessary to pay off debt accumulated in prison.

Related article: https://action.aclu.org/global-tel

Prison Facility, Prison Issues, Prison News, Texas Prisons

It’s Heating Up in Texas Prisons

An article written for The Dallas Morning News outlines the battle between prisoner advocates and corrections officials over intense heat conditions in Texas prisons. During the hottest summer months, temperatures can easily climb to over 100 degrees for the thousands of inmates serving time in prisons without air conditioning. This is of particular concern for the elderly and those with mental health issues.

Corrections officials admit that conditions become sweltering, but they say that the cost of providing air conditioning for all prison buildings, especially ones that are very old, makes it fiscally prohibitive. Instead, they require officers to monitor inmates for heat-related illnesses and to provide them with ice and water. They also give inmates the opportunity to take multiple showers and to wear shorts, among other concessions.

Prisoner advocates claim that, since 1998, at least 20 inmates have died from heat-related complications. They say they don’t expect inmates to be comfortable in prison life, but they should at least be safe. Inmates and their advocates aren’t the only ones dissatisfied with present conditions: prison officers also have to suffer through the heat. And given the current shortage of officers, there is concern that numbers will continue to dwindle if the issue is not properly addressed.

A wrongful death lawsuit filed by the families of eight inmates who have died from heat-related illnesses is currently making its way through Texas courts. If the state is found liable, it could reshape the way that the prison system copes with extreme heat. If not, it seems likely things will continue as they are.

Prison System

Find Out How To Effectively Communicate With Your Incarcerated Love One At A Discounted Rate

Traditional methods of communicating with your love one that is in jail, but Global Tel-Link makes it quick and easy with a variety of methods. Global Tel-Link stands out as one of the fattest growing phone communication systems for correctional facilities. In fact, they are the leading provides of communication, payment, and telephone communications for inmates and correctional facilities across the nation. Your family and friends can continue to stay connected even though one of them are incarcerated. Often times, that is all an inmate has is their family and friends on the outside. Global Tel-Link is committed to keeping you connected.

Additional Global Tel-Link Services

1. There is a free chat service the first time an inmate makes a call to family and friends. The inmate can make a brief call to his family if they can’t accept collect calls and they they will have the opportunity after the call to arrange for Advanced Pay features that will allow them to talk for regularly through the Global Tel-Link
system.

2. Global Tel-Link now offers prepaid options that allows the inmates to buy a voucher through their commissary and they can then make prepaid calls to any number that accepts landline calls. They have revolutionized the way inmates can communicate with the outside world.

3. The correctional facility is giving a call feature that still allows them to control the connection of the telephone to a third party and provides quality surveillance of inmate calls when needed.

According to PR Newswire, you’ll get all the communication and payment methods options you need with Global Tel-Link for inmates, correctional facilities, friends, and family. Talk to you loved ones, attorneys, and the outside when you need to connect even when you’re incarcerated.

Helpful links:

YouTube campaign video

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/31/us/steep-costs-of-inmate-phone-calls-are-under-scrutiny.html?_r=1