Yahoo News highlights Securus Technologies program that gives the incarcerated community access to college degrees

In 2016, Securus Technologies created its Lantern program for corrections to provide incarcerated students access to a college education.

The platform partners with colleges and universities to deliver postsecondary digital education services to seven state department of corrections programs with nine schools around the country. Nearly 8,000 students were enrolled this past fall, and 1,000 students have earned degrees through the program.

Yahoo recently profiled Alecia Nolan-Jones, 44, who is enrolled at Ashland (Ohio) University, which is one school participating in the Lantern program.

“I attend Ashland University through their correctional education program. I’m working on a major in interdisciplinary studies and minors in sociology and business administration. In May 2022, I graduated with my associate’s degree in general studies and am tentatively scheduled to graduate with my bachelor’s degree in May of 2024,” Jones told Yahoo.

“Education provides justice-impacted people with a second chance by expanding their opportunity to find a job and provide for themselves and their families,” Aventiv CEO Dave Abel told Yahoo. “That’s why our platform and the access our tablets provide to education are so important. Our tablets transform facilities from technology deserts to modernized, digital environments.”

Aventiv is the parent company of Securus, which was acquired by Platinum Equity in 2017.