GTL Offers Newsfeed Subscription Service to Inmates

RESTON, Va., Oct. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- GTL today announced that inmates can now keep up to date on world events through the latest Inspire® inmate tablet application—Newsfeed.

The Newsfeed application delivers secure access to articles from several major news providers. Unlike other commercially available applications, the GTL app gives correctional facilities complete control over what newsfeeds are allowed. GTL can exclude newsfeeds that facilities find undesirable, or GTL can perform security assessments on new or alternative newsfeeds that a facility wishes to add to the application. If the requested newsfeed passes inspection, it will be added to the app.

"GTL's subscription applications have allowed our facility to offer a variety of services to inmates that they wouldn't have access to otherwise," said Sandra Miller, Records/Booking Supervisor at New Hampshire's Strafford County Department of Corrections. "Inmates are able to keep in better touch with what is happening outside of our facility's walls through the Newsfeed app and that makes them feel more like a part of society."

Keeping in contact with the outside world—whether through communication with friends and family members, reading the latest news, or taking part in an education program—reduces tension inside a correctional facility, lowers recidivism rates, and gives inmates better post-release outcomes.

To support the needs of corrections facilities, GTL's Newsfeed was designed with security in mind—there are no external links or clickable ads anywhere in the app. Because GTL controls the app development, there are also no backdoor routes to tablet settings, profile setting fields, or comment sections that can be used to pass unsecure messages to other inmates. It also means that GTL can continue to update and improve the app experience based upon inmate and facility feedback.

"For any inmate application, security is our top priority," said Brian Peters, GTL Vice President, Facility Product Management. "Newsfeed is a custom daily news service application designed specifically for the corrections market. While inmates can read articles from popular news sites, the rest of the app is locked down, which prevents inmates from navigating to unwanted websites. Control over the development of the app is not only imperative to the safety and security of the facility but also to the continuous improvement of the Newsfeed service."

GTL's Newsfeed App can be previewed by inmates with a 1-day free trial and then purchased according to flexible subscription terms. GTL has significantly expanded its inmate tablet applications over the past year, releasing apps for eBooks, games, streaming music, FM radio, and more.

GTL is the industry leader in handheld devices for inmates, having received 19 patents for the Inspire tablet in the last 12 months.

To learn more about the GTL Inspire inmate tablet's offerings or for a product demonstration, contact GTL today.

About GTL
GTL leads the fields of correctional technology, education, and government payment services with visionary solutions and customized products that integrate seamlessly to deliver security, financial value, and operational efficiencies while aiding inmate rehabilitation and reducing recidivism rates. With the recent acquisition of Telmate. GTL has strengthened its suite of solutions for the corrections industry and expanded its community corrections portfolio with Telmate Guardian, a smartphone-based GPS monitoring solution. As a trusted industry leader, GTL provides services to over 2 million inmates in more than 2,500 correctional facilities in the United States and Canada, including 33 U.S. departments of corrections, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Federal Bureau of Prisons, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and many large city/county/provincial facilities. GTL is headquartered in Reston, Virginia, with an employee presence throughout North America. To learn more about GTL, please visit www.gtl.net or social media sites on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

About ConnectNetwork
GTL's ConnectNetwork is the one-stop resource for friends and family members to connect with their incarcerated loved ones. Friends and family can deposit money into an inmate's accounts, schedule and conduct video visits, and send messages. To learn more about ConnectNetwork, please visit www.connectnetwork.com or social media sites on Facebook and Twitter.

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

SOURCE GTL

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http://www.gtl.net