FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE
July
16, 2013
Department Donates Confiscated Phones to HopeLine® from
Verizon
MONTGOMERY, AL – Through an initiative spearheaded by First Lady Dianne Bentley, the
Alabama Department of Corrections has donated more than 4,000 phones
confiscated from inmates to HopeLine from Verizon, a phone recycling program
that turns no-longer used wireless devices into support for organizations
working to help reduce the incidence of domestic violence and assist victims.
First Lady Bentley, who supports the
cause of domestic violence awareness and prevention through a number of
initiatives, first learned of HopeLine in early 2012 and challenged Governor
Robert Bentley’s cabinet members to collect phones for the cause. In just one
month, the First Lady raised 2,500 phones, due in large part to a significant
donation from the Department of Corrections, which had previously disposed of
cell phones confiscated from inmates. Since then, the Department has continued
to donate confiscated phones to HopeLine.
The Department of Corrections
donated approximately 2,500 phones to HopeLine in 2012 and has contributed
1,553 phones so far this year.
"The Alabama Department of
Corrections is pleased to support the First Lady's efforts around such a worthy
cause," Corrections Commissioner Kim Thomas said. "Cell phones in a prison setting are a
real danger as contraband. We diligently
battle their illegal use and are glad to donate them to such a productive cause
and to assist the First Lady. This is
just one of the many positive things we do on a daily basis."
Wireless phones given to HopeLine
are refurbished and sold for reuse, generating grant dollars for nonprofit
organizations to help fund education, support services and community outreach.
Refurbished phones – complete with 3,000 minutes of wireless service and
text-messaging service – are provided to local domestic violence agencies or local
law enforcement agencies for use with their domestic violence clients.
Verizon has provided HopeLine grants
to organizations across the state including the Alabama Coalition Against
Domestic Violence as well as many of its member shelters, the North Alabama
Crisis Services
Center, Montgomery’s
One Place
Family Justice Center
and the Exchange Center
for Child Abuse Prevention in Dothan
among others.
“This incredible collaboration
between First Lady Bentley and the Alabama Department of Corrections has generated
a substantial volume of phone donations and therefore new resources for Alabama non-profits
working to reduce the incidence of domestic violence,” said
Jonathan LeCompte, president – Georgia/Alabama region, Verizon
Wireless. “We
applaud both the First Lady and the Department of Corrections for this
innovative way to be a part of community change.”
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Kate
Jay
Verizon Wireless
678-339-4828
Kate.Jay@VerizonWireless.com
Follow
me on Twitter @VZWkate
Brian Corbett
Alabama
Department of Corrections
334-353-4053
Brian.corbett@doc.alabama.gov
About Verizon Wireless
Verizon
Wireless operates the nation’s largest 4G LTE network and largest, most
reliable 3G network. The company serves 98.9 million retail customers,
including 93.2 million retail postpaid customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with
more than 73,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of
Verizon Communications (NYSE, NASDAQ: VZ) and Vodafone (LSE, NASDAQ: VOD). For more information, visit www.verizonwireless.com. For the latest news and updates about Verizon
Wireless, visit our News
Center at http://news.verizonwireless.com
or follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/VZWNews.
.jpg)