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| Securus Technologies, Inc., Targeted By Call Hijacker | |
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10/22/2009 - Dallas, Texas, October 22, 2010 --Securus Technologies, Inc., a leading provider of inmate communication services and innovative offender and case management software design, today announced that it has been named in a lawsuit filed by Millicorp, the parent company of ConsCallHome.com. According to ConsCallHome.com, the lawsuit against Securus is “an action for damages arising out of alleged violations of the Communications Act of 1934 and the Telecommunications Act of 1996, as amended, 47 U.S.C &201 et. Seq., for common law tortious interference and for civil conspiracy to commit tortious interference, including the inappropriate blocking of calls.” Securus indicates the lawsuit is wholly without merit and that pursuant to the guidelines of virtually all inmate telecommunications service contracts, inmate telephone service providers must block any call forwarding arrangements of inmate’s calls, even the forwarding services of fully certified carriers. Therefore, call diversion schemes, such as ConsCallHome.com, are not permitted even if the call diversion company complies with regulatory requirements. The security breaches that call diversion schemes create has caused dozens of law enforcement officials to urge Securus and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to put a stop to this illegal and fraudulent practice. Securus recently petitioned the FCC regarding the call diversion issue and is awaiting a ruling on the same. In its petition and subsequent reply, Securus stated that ConsCallHome.com is not a legitimate provider of telephone service. ConsCallHome.com simply re-routes calls from inmates via false, unregistered 'local' telephone numbers to a party’s actual terminating telephone number--which is unknown to the correctional facility authorities and the provider of the secure telephone network platform. As such, the FCC should not view ConsCallHome.com or any other call diverter as a telephone common carrier attempting to serve the public in a legitimate manner. In its press release on this matter, ConsCallHome.com ignores the fact that legitimate service providers, such as Securus, compete vigorously and participate in public bidding process, are appropriately vetted in the contracting process, and thus are thoroughly reviewed and selected by the resident correctional and procurement agencies based on the specialized needs of correctional facilities. In diverting calls, ConsCallHome.com never announces itself to a correctional facility as a service provider, and does not hold any contracts with correctional agencies. It is ConsCallHome.com who is flouting federal, state, and local laws — including regulatory, procurement, and corrections-related laws — and who should be prohibited from continuing its unlawful conduct. In fact, ConsCallHome.com stated to the FCC that it has provided service since "early 2008," and yet it did not register with the FCC until July 9, 2009, and did not obtain certification from the Missouri Public Service Commission until September 16, 2009, according to publicly available documents. ConsCallHome.com and companies like it circumvent key security features, and their assertions to the contrary are false. It is undisputed that call diversion schemes give “subscribers” a misleading telephone number that is local to the jail in which the calling inmate is incarcerated. It is undisputed, in fact, it appears on the ConsCallHome.com website, that a called party actually has a different terminating telephone number. It is undisputed that the false local telephone number given to the called party is not registered to the called party. Finally, it is undisputed that the dialed telephone number captured by the inmate calling systems, and on which correctional authorities rely in order to research inmate calls, is the false local telephone number and not the actual terminating telephone number. These undisputed facts establish that call diversion schemes such as ConsCallHome.com are committing a serious security breach every time an inmate or an inmate’s friend or family member uses them. These facts also demonstrate that call diversion schemes are no different than the dial-around services which the FCC has permitted inmate telephone service providers to block since 1991. About Securus Technologies, Inc. Securus Technologies, Inc. is one of the largest suppliers of detainee communications and information management solutions, serving approximately 2,300 correctional facilities nationwide. A recognized leader in providing comprehensive, innovative technical solutions and responsive customer service, Securus’ sole focus is the specialized needs of the corrections and law enforcement communities. Securus is headquartered in Dallas, TX, with regional offices in Carrollton and Allen, TX and Atlanta, GA. For more information please visit the Securus website at www.securustech.net. Contact: Dennis Reinhold, General Counsel (972) 277-0318 DReinhold@securustech.net |
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