Prison technology and telecom companies such as Securus and Global Tel*Link are already notorious for their ongoing efforts to extract every last penny and destroy any last shred of privacy afforded to incarcerated people. They have so far succeeded in their goals, operating in thousands of prisons in every state in the U.S. But they are not content to rest on their laurels.
Securus and GTL have spent the last several years inventing new and improved ways to extract money from incarcerated people, violate human rights, and surveil not only prisoners but their families, and friends.
Over the next two weeks we will be shedding light on some of the patents and technologies these companies have been working on, which either are already actively used or may soon be coming to prisons across the country.
Our hope is that through this project we will expose some of the horrifying technologies that Securus and GTL are working on, exposing these ideas to the public and not allowing them to flourish in the obscurity of patent documents.
View the catalog of prison surveillance below. New posts will be added daily
*Do you have experience with these technologies? We’d love to hear from you. Get in touch via [email protected].*
The Electronic Frontier Foundation is the leading nonprofit organization defending civil liberties in the digital world. Founded in 1990, EFF champions user privacy, free expression, and innovation through impact litigation, policy analysis, grassroots activism, and technology development. We work to ensure that rights and freedoms are enhanced and protected as our use of technology grows. Visit https://www.eff.org