Technology Leader Invests in Scholarships to Support Children of Incarcerated Individuals by Removing Financial Barriers that Limit Pursuit of Secondary Education

DALLAS, July 19, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Securus Technologies (Securus), an Aventiv Technologies company and the leading provider of connections between incarcerated individuals and their loved ones, is proudly joining forces with ScholarCHIPS, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit committed to inspiring the children of incarcerated parents to complete a college education. Each year, ScholarCHIPS awards scholarships to graduating high school seniors with the drive to attend and graduate from college but who, without the financial support, are at risk of falling short academically because of limited financial resources or support networks due to parental incarceration. 

In the U.S., 2.7 million children – roughly the population of Mississippi – have an incarcerated parent, which creates significant barriers to their academic success and chances of college attainment. Research indicates that children of incarcerated parents are more likely to be placed in special education, held back in school, receive poor evaluations from teachers, demonstrate increased delinquency, or drop out of school altogether.

"All too often, the children of incarcerated individuals face significant challenges in pursuing their academic dreams, reducing their chance to create change within themselves, their family, and their communities," said Yasmine Arrington, Executive Director and Founder, ScholarCHIPS. "Growing up as a justice-impacted individual, I looked for ways to bridge the financial gap so I could complete my higher education, only to find there were no scholarships to serve people like me."

"I founded ScholarCHIPS to give justice-impacted individuals the opportunity to break barriers and change the world," Arrington continued.

Founded by Arrington in October 2010, ScholarCHIPS has awarded over $500,000 in support via 88 individual scholarship awards and has contributed more than 2,500 hours of mentorship for youth whose parents are incarcerated. Of the youth served, 90 percent of its scholars have graduated or are on track to graduate in the next five years.

This year, Securus Technologies, a technology provider serving 1,800 public safety, law enforcement, and corrections agencies as well as over 1,000,000 incarcerated individuals across North America, collaborated with ScholarCHIPS to expand the reach of the program. Over five years, Securus has invested $600 million in infrastructure to distribute 600,000 tablets across corrections facilities nationwide, connecting incarcerated individuals to their loved ones and resources that improve reentry outcomes. Securus made the ScholarCHIPS application and award process available via these tablets, resulting in a 900 percent increase in scholarship applications across 27 states.

"We are incredibly proud to work with ScholarCHIPS to make a tangible difference in the lives of these deserving students," said Shamia Lodge, Director of Community Engagement, Aventiv Technologies. "We know families are impacted by the separation and economic strain created when a parent is incarcerated and believe that by investing in the futures of these youth, we can help families overcome the barriers that make it difficult to achieve their potential."

This year marks ScholarCHIPS' largest scholarship cohort to date. Of the 24 deserving recipients, a third of them learned about the scholarship through their incarcerated parents via a Securus tablet. Beyond its efforts to communicate the ScholarCHIPS application process through tablets, Securus is also funding $25,000 in ScholarCHIPS awards to this year's recipients who will be honored at the organization's 13th annual award ceremony on July 20th in Washington, D.C.

For more information on Securus Technologies community investments, visit https://www.aventiv.com/securus-technologies/ or LinkedIn, YouTube, and Facebook.

About ScholarCHIPS
ScholarCHIPS, Inc. is a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit organization that provides college scholarships, mentoring, and peer support to children of incarcerated parents, inspiring them to complete their college education. To learn more, visit the website, and follow them on Facebook, Instagram, X, and YouTube.

About Securus Technologies
Headquartered in Plano, Texas, Securus Technologies® (Securus) is an Aventiv Technologies company that serves more than 1,800 public safety, law enforcement, and corrections agencies as well as over 1,000,000 incarcerated individuals across North America. Founded in 1986, Securus offers innovative solutions like phone and video connections and e-messaging, which connect family and friends to their incarcerated loved ones. Their secure monitoring and investigative solutions aid law enforcement and correctional facility staff in their operations and efforts to maintain public safety in communities nationwide. As the pioneers of tablet technology, Securus introduced the first corrections-grade tablet in 2011, revolutionizing how communication, entertainment, reentry, and educational resources are deployed in complex corrections environments, elevating efficiency in operations and stronger reentry outcomes. For more information, please visit https://www.aventiv.com/securus-technologies/ or follow us on social media on LinkedIn, YouTube, and Facebook.

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