Global Tel Link
We all know that after being booked, inmates are given that one last phone call to the outside world. Whether it is to plead a family member for bail or just to let someone be aware of where they ended up that night, these prisoners can reach out to anyone who will answer.But when these innocent calls to the world are used to contact wanted criminals or turn into plots conspired by prisoners, Global Tel* Ink is there to monitor them and use the information for the better of the American public.
Global Tel* Link is an innovative company who delivers inmate phone capabilities to many correctional facilities across the United States. In June 2005, GTL was merged with AT&T's National Public Markets Division which makes this premier product of even higher quality and performance. With its headquarters in Alabama, GTL has been able to reach out to many correctional facilities insisting that as the facility grows then the product will adapt and grow as well; it can cater to an inmate population of ten or ten-thousand.
The premier product of GTL is the Lazerphone which can be used and paid for by the inmates using a few payment methods which seem to cater to the financial capabilities of the inmate's families with billable phones. Not only does the Lazerphone allow the inmate to reach his loved ones but it helps the facility in charge keep close tabs on what conversations the inmates are having increasing their chances of catching budding criminal activity and abolishing it early.
GTL offers it services at a price but these fees are helped by the aid that the company offers to the inmate and its family. The AdvancePay feature allows the inmates family to put on a certain amount of money on an account that can be used to call a specific destination number. The AdvancePay also gives a number of benefits including immediate transactions meaning that it will not take 24 hours for the money to show up in the account. It also prompts immediate payment over the phone if an inmate has overstepped his allotted time given by the amount of money he has given.
But, like any product, there have been some complaints of this company and its products which have made some consumers wary of buying into this company. Recently on consumeraffairs.com, some customers have expressed their disappointment with the company and more importantly how far their dollar can actually take them.
A woman whose son is currently incarcerated expressed her worries of the company because it is reaching deep into her pockets. She claims that she has to pay almost 25 dollars to keep in contact with her son but this amount of money only allows for a couple of phone calls until she is asked to put more money on. Another consumer reported the same problem saying that her money got her six calls every two weeks until she was paid from her job again to pay the rising bill to speak to her imprisoned fiancee.
As mentioned before, Global Tel* Link services a number of correctional facilities across the United States in states including New York, Georgia, Louisiana, California, Connecticut, Minnesota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.