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SAN FRANCISCO, CA – October 27, 2014 – Inmate communications leader Telmate may be known as a technology provider for prisons and jails, but Telmate’s employees have taken their mission to a new level. The company’s mission is to “Create secure technology that empowers inmates to break the cycle of recidivism while protecting and serving facilities and communities.”

“We truly believe our technology is making a difference in people’s lives, connecting inmates with their loved ones and providing them with positive resources to get out and stay out,” said Chief Marketing Officer Jeff Hansen, “but we wanted to do something more to help reduce recidivism at its core.”

The company has been partnering with the Boys and Girls Club for several years with different initiatives to steer kids away from living a life of crime by giving them positive learning resources. This initiative among others is part of the company’s community outreach program also known as “Telmate Cares.”

To date, the company has donated 14 tablets to aid in teaching kids basic arithmetic skills, and has offered training classes to small groups of children ranging from topics like “Basic Coding” to “Branding 101.” Next month, Telmate volunteers will be back to show members of the Boys and Girls Club “How to Use Photography to Tell Stories.”

Executive Director Matt Sorensen said, “The kids really enjoy seeing a familiar face from Telmate every month. They may not have been able to have that consistency growing up so it’s important for us to get dedicated volunteers so that they can establish rapport with them.” 

How much of positive impact this continuity has on the members of the Boys and Girls Club remains to be seen, but Hansen believes in the power of giving back and its long term benefits. “It’s nice being able to ‘do our time’ to play a small role in keeping kids from doing time,” Hansen said.

For more information about this initiative, visit www.telmate.com/telmatecares.