ConnectNetwork® Expands User Experience with New Photo Messaging Feature for Mobile Devices

By GTL

Published: 03/28/2017

| Company Profile | CorrectSource

Article:
Reston, Virginia (PRNewsWire) – March 20, 2017 – GTL , an innovation leader in correctional technology and payment services solutions for government, today announced an innovative new feature to its highly versatile website ConnectNetwork®. Friends and family members can now send photos to their incarcerated loved ones at any time from the convenience of a smartphone or a tablet using free mobile applications for Android and iOS devices.

“Since first launching our revamped ConnectNetwork website last summer, we have aggressively pursued and launched several upgrades,” said Steve Montanaro, Vice President, Consumer Channels at GTL. “We are continuing in 2017 with another blockbuster addition to our mobile offerings—photo messaging. With this application, friends and family members can select photos from their photo library to send to an incarcerated loved one, with or without a written message. By finding new and innovative ways to improve on ease-of-use and increase the frequency of contact between inmates and their friends and family, GTL is furthering its goal of having a positive effect on recidivism rates.”

GTL saw the volume of messaging between inmates and their friends and family increase by more than 1,200 percent in 2016 at the same time it added new features to its versatile mobile applications. “With this latest addition to our comprehensive suite of mobile application features, and more features planned for this year, we expect to further increase our friend and family messaging numbers in 2017,” added Mr. Montanaro.

This new photo messaging feature aligns with GTL’s stringent security protocols and enhances safety and security at correctional facilities by reducing the volume of traditional mail and postcards. While inmates cannot send photos, they may reply to their friend and family member from the convenience of their GTL Inspire® inmate tablet or an in-pod device, such as the Flex® Link multi-service kiosk.