Hey, this is Peter Mukuria, also known as comrade Pitt. I recently got transferred here in the state of Maryland at Jessup Correctional Institution, came from Virginia DOC, Red Onion State Prison where I was housed in solitary confinement for eight years. Um, and I guess they finally kicked me out.
Alright, so this one is titled “Exposing GTL Scam.”
During the COVID pandemic, prisons across the country halted all in-person contact visits between prisoners and their loved ones. Video visit systems were implemented to assist prisoners to maintain ties with their loved ones and communities.
At Red Onion Prison in Virginia where I was previously confined prior to being transferred to a prison in Maryland, GTL was and continues to be the company assisting Virginia DOC with their video visits.
Having been a recipient of their services, I must admit, even though nothing can replace a physical embrace from a loved one, given the unique circumstance of a global pandemic forcing physical separation, being able to least see my loved ones virtually was pleasant.
However, I quickly noticed that my scheduled visit was canceled whether it’s due to technical issues or conflicting prison schedule warranting a cancellation of a video visit, GTL as a service provider had two offices to remedy the constellation either by rescheduling the visits for a later date or issuing the paid customer a reimbursement. GTL opted for the third option: cancel the visit and keep the funds.
I began tracking how many people were having their video visits canceled, which one ever rescheduled, their loved ones are never reimbursed. And I was astonished at the results. Of the 36 people whom I asked, all experienced this issue, and at least four out of five people, their video visits will canceled with no rescheduled date or funds reimbursed.
I’m certain they’ll file more than just those 36 people. It does not take a rocket scientist to figure out if this pattern goes on unchecked for years, GTL can very easily accumulate millions of dollars for services they never provided to their paying customers. This is a textbook definition of a scam. A vampire’s natural instinct is to bite and suck all the blood out of its prey.
This is a company preying on the desires of people wanting to see their incarcerated loved ones, especially at a time when the economy inflation is at an all-time high. Companies such as GTL and other companies which fund the services to prisoners need and should be investigated.
And I guarantee their scam and their corruption will be exposed as they have normalized preying on the vulnerabilities of prisoners and their loved ones.
All power to the people, comrade Pitt.
These commentaries are recorded by Prison Radio.
