The U.S. prison communications industry includes companies that provide prisons, jails, and immigrant detention centers with telecommunications services, including phone calls—primarily via payphone—and video "visitations" conducted via kiosks or tablets. This category also includes other types of prison communication services, such as incoming mail scan technology, email and messaging systems, and cable television.
Following decades of mergers and acquisitions, this industry is now concentrated in the hands of private companies. Only three companies overwhelmingly control the prison communications industry:
- Securus, owned by private technology company Aventiv Technologies, services over 3,400 prisons and jails in the U.S.
- ViaPath Technologies—formerly Global Tel Link (GTL)—services nearly 2,000 prisons and jails in the U.S.
- Inmate Calling Solutions (ICSolutions), owned by prison services conglomerate TKC Holdings, services over 230 prisons and jails in the U.S.
The remainder of the prison communications market is divided among smaller, privately held companies.
For our 2023 report on the U.S. prison communications industry, see here.