New Company offers Video Visitation, Arraignment Services

CHANDLER, Ariz. — Industry insiders Nicholas Temple Sr. and Carlos Pena joined forces recently to launch the Arizona-based corrections start-up Correctional Visitation Technologies Inc.

CorrVis entered the corrections market in July, offering video visitation and arraignment design, installation and consulting services to jurisdictions throughout the United States.

“We have spent months developing a software management tool and building a network of national support resources so the company can service any visitation or arraignment installation, anywhere in the country,” says Temple, co-founder and president.

In the immediate future, CorrVis will focus on delivering design and support services for original equipment manufacturer video visitation and arraignment systems, specializing in vendor-independent design, installation and service of video visitation and arraignment systems that utilize non-proprietary hardware and open-source software.

The company hopes to work with state and local governments that are considering investing in remote visitation, arraignment, conferencing and consult technologies, offering project consulting and management services and conducting facility needs-assessments and system evaluations for corrections agencies.

“We have noticed that a number of visitation RFPs recently have not been awarded for various reasons,” Temple says. “We hope to solve these problems by helping a jurisdiction properly set their system needs and expectations so the bidding process can be more precise and the results more satisfactory.”

An Internet-based, client-accessible management system will support a network of technicians to ensure efficient service call response, tracking service call history, parts inventories and installations, and replacement parts purchasing information.

Temple and Pena, CorrVis co-founder and CIO, have several decades of combined experience in the design and implementation of video visitation and arraignment systems.

With more than 25 years experience in the field of IP-based network development and design, for the last 10 years Temple has specialized in criminal justice and the design and installation of video visitation and arraignment systems for federal, state and local jurisdictions. Temple has been involved in planning the integration of multisite and systemwide visitation technology platforms at the state level, and designed single and multisite county jail visitation and arraignment systems.

Temple collaborated with Durrant Group on the planning, design and installation of systems in Pinal County, Ariz., Kings County, Calif., and Polk County, Iowa.

Pena has been involved in the design and installation of video visitation systems for 12 county jail facilities in Arizona, California, Colorado, Nebraska and Washington and five federal prison projects in Louisiana and Texas, and has specified video arraignment and teleconferencing systems for a number of jurisdictions throughout the United States.

As technical advisor on the first video visitation system commissioned in Arizona, Pena was instrumental in the design, installation and on-going service of systems for three large jails for the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office. The project included the integration of remote connections to the local public defender office, and probation and parole offices.

Temple and Pena collaborated on the development of an integrated system for the Bureau of Prisons, which combines IP-based and matrix-based visitation platforms that would facilitate remote visitation from any location in the United States, according to the company.

“The company may offer our own solutions, if we feel that customer needs cannot be met by existing visitation vendors,” says Pena.