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{{Short description|U.S. technology non-profit organization}}
{{Short description|U.S. technology non-profit organization}}


'''Ameelio''' is a technology non-profit which provides free communications and educational tools for incarcerated communities and their relatives. It is the first non-profit telecommunications company to provide free prison communication services in the United States.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Their App Sends Free Mail to Incarcerated People. Now They're Helping Prisoners Register to Vote |url=https://nextcity.org/urbanist-news/app-sends-free-mail-incarcerated-people-now-helping-prisoners-register-vote |access-date=2022-01-31 |website=nextcity.org |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Ameelio wants to take on for-profit, prison-calling rackets after starting with free letters to inmates |url=https://social.techcrunch.com/2020/05/14/ameelio-wants-to-take-on-for-profit-prison-calling-rackets-after-starting-with-free-letters-to-inmates/ |access-date=2022-01-31 |website=TechCrunch |language=en-US}}</ref>
'''Ameelio''' is a technology non-profit which provides free communications and educational tools for incarcerated communities and their relatives. It is the first non-profit telecommunications company to provide free prison communication services in the United States.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Their App Sends Free Mail to Incarcerated People. Now They're Helping Prisoners Register to Vote |url=https://nextcity.org/urbanist-news/app-sends-free-mail-incarcerated-people-now-helping-prisoners-register-vote |access-date=2022-01-31 |website=nextcity.org |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Ameelio wants to take on for-profit, prison-calling rackets after starting with free letters to inmates |url=https://techcrunch.com/2020/05/14/ameelio-wants-to-take-on-for-profit-prison-calling-rackets-after-starting-with-free-letters-to-inmates/ |access-date=2022-01-31 |website=TechCrunch |language=en-US}}</ref>


== History ==
== History ==
Ameelio was co-founded in 2020 by two Yale students, [[Uzoma Orchingwa|Uzoma "Zo" Orchingwa]] and Gabriel Saruhashi, to allow incarcerated people in the United States to access free communications services.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sending a message |url=https://yalealumnimagazine.com/articles/5247-sending-a-message |access-date=2022-01-31 |website=yalealumnimagazine.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Koldas |first=Kardelen |date=July 8, 2021 |title=Uzoma "Zo" Orchingwa ’14 offers sensible solutions to prison communications |url=https://news.colby.edu/story/ameliorating-the-world-one-solution-at-a-time/ |website=Colby News}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The Most Creative People in Business 2021 |url=https://www.fastcompany.com/most-creative-people/2021 |access-date=2022-02-24 |website=Fast Company |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Roose |first=Kevin |date=2021-12-27 |title=The 2021 Good Tech Awards |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/27/technology/the-2021-good-tech-awards.html |access-date=2022-02-24 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Orchingwa and Saruhashi were motivated to found the organization because of the extremely high cost and inaccessibility of communications in prison,<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-02-17 |title=Tech Company Aims to Disrupt Predatorial Prison Phone Industry |url=https://www.colorlines.com/articles/tech-company-aims-disrupt-predatorial-prison-phone-industry |access-date=2022-02-24 |website=www.colorlines.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Primack |first=Stef W. Kight, Dan |date=2019-06-08 |title=Private companies are making money off the prison system in every way imaginable |url=https://www.axios.com/profiting-prison-c2bd43b2-4b2f-44ee-8f23-c6c9a14c1aaa.html |access-date=2022-02-24 |website=Axios |language=en}}</ref> which [[Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on prisons|worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Canales |first=Katie |title=An app will turn your digital message into a physical letter and send it to loved ones in prison for free as the pandemic bans in-person visits to jails |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-use-app-talk-family-prison-ameelio-2020-6 |access-date=2022-01-31 |website=Business Insider |language=en-US}}</ref> At launch, it allowed users to send photos and physical print-outs of digital letters to inmates,<ref>{{Cite web|date=July 4, 2020|first=Rosalie|last=Chan|title=Ameelio helps communicate with incarcerated loved ones for free|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/startup-ameelio-communicate-loved-ones-incarcerated-yale-2020-6|access-date=2022-01-31|website=Business Insider|language=en-US}}</ref> it later expanded its services to include [[teleconferencing]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Zabbasajja|first=Jennifer|date=September 8, 2021|title=Can a Nonprofit Disrupt the Pricey Prison Phone Industry?|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-09-08/nonprofit-aims-to-disrupt-pricey-prison-telecom-industry|access-date=2022-02-24|website=www.bloomberg.com}}</ref> The organization received funding from [[Jack Dorsey]], [[Eric Schmidt]], [[Vinod Khosla]], [[Kevin P. Ryan]], [[Rich Barton]], [[Devin Wenig]], and [[Jack Smith (Hotmail)|Jack Smith]].'''<ref>{{Cite web |last=Au-Yeung |first=Angel |title=The Prison Communications Nonprofit Backed By Twitter’s Jack Dorsey And Former Google Chief Eric Schmidt |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/angelauyeung/2020/09/21/the-prison-communications-nonprofit-backed-by-twitters-jack-dorsey-and-former-google-chief-eric-schmidt/ |access-date=2022-01-31 |website=Forbes |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Annual ABE grant program supports 15 ‘boots-on-the-ground' projects |url=https://www.abajournal.com/news/article/annual-abe-grant-program-supports-15-boots-on-the-ground-projects |access-date=2022-01-31 |website=ABA Journal |language=en}}</ref>'''
Ameelio was co-founded in 2020 by two Yale students, [[Uzoma Orchingwa|Uzoma "Zo" Orchingwa]] and Gabriel Saruhashi, to allow incarcerated people in the United States to access free communications services.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sending a message |url=https://yalealumnimagazine.com/articles/5247-sending-a-message |access-date=2022-01-31 |website=yalealumnimagazine.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Koldas |first=Kardelen |date=July 8, 2021 |title=Uzoma "Zo" Orchingwa ’14 offers sensible solutions to prison communications |url=https://news.colby.edu/story/ameliorating-the-world-one-solution-at-a-time/ |website=Colby News}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The Most Creative People in Business 2021 |url=https://www.fastcompany.com/most-creative-people/2021 |access-date=2022-02-24 |website=Fast Company |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Roose |first=Kevin |date=2021-12-27 |title=The 2021 Good Tech Awards |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/27/technology/the-2021-good-tech-awards.html |access-date=2022-02-24 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Orchingwa and Saruhashi were motivated to found the organization because of the extremely high cost and inaccessibility of communications in prison,<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-02-17 |title=Tech Company Aims to Disrupt Predatorial Prison Phone Industry |url=https://www.colorlines.com/articles/tech-company-aims-disrupt-predatorial-prison-phone-industry |access-date=2022-02-24 |website=www.colorlines.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Primack |first=Stef W. Kight, Dan |date=2019-06-08 |title=Private companies are making money off the prison system in every way imaginable |url=https://www.axios.com/profiting-prison-c2bd43b2-4b2f-44ee-8f23-c6c9a14c1aaa.html |access-date=2022-02-24 |website=Axios |language=en}}</ref> which [[Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on prisons|worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Canales |first=Katie |title=An app will turn your digital message into a physical letter and send it to loved ones in prison for free as the pandemic bans in-person visits to jails |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-use-app-talk-family-prison-ameelio-2020-6 |access-date=2022-01-31 |website=Business Insider |language=en-US}}</ref> At launch, it allowed users to send photos and physical print-outs of digital letters to inmates,<ref>{{Cite web|date=July 4, 2020|first=Rosalie|last=Chan|title=Ameelio helps communicate with incarcerated loved ones for free|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/startup-ameelio-communicate-loved-ones-incarcerated-yale-2020-6|access-date=2022-01-31|website=Business Insider|language=en-US}}</ref> it later expanded its services to include [[teleconferencing]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Zabbasajja|first=Jennifer|date=September 8, 2021|title=Can a Nonprofit Disrupt the Pricey Prison Phone Industry?|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-09-08/nonprofit-aims-to-disrupt-pricey-prison-telecom-industry|access-date=2022-02-24|website=www.bloomberg.com}}</ref> The organization received funding from [[Jack Dorsey]], [[Eric Schmidt]], [[Vinod Khosla]], [[Kevin P. Ryan]], [[Rich Barton]], [[Devin Wenig]], and [[Jack Smith (Hotmail)|Jack Smith]].'''<ref>{{Cite web |last=Au-Yeung |first=Angel |title=The Prison Communications Nonprofit Backed By Twitter’s Jack Dorsey And Former Google Chief Eric Schmidt |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/angelauyeung/2020/09/21/the-prison-communications-nonprofit-backed-by-twitters-jack-dorsey-and-former-google-chief-eric-schmidt/ |access-date=2022-01-31 |website=Forbes |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Annual ABE grant program supports 15 ‘boots-on-the-ground' projects |url=https://www.abajournal.com/news/article/annual-abe-grant-program-supports-15-boots-on-the-ground-projects |access-date=2022-01-31 |website=ABA Journal |language=en}}</ref>'''


Ameelio currently supports free communications for incarcerated individuals and their families in the states of Iowa, Colorado, and Maine.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ameelio’s free video calling service for inmates goes live at first facilities |url=https://social.techcrunch.com/2021/12/20/ameelios-free-video-calling-for-inmates-2022-launch/ |access-date=2022-01-31 |website=TechCrunch |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-09-22 |title=Cost of prison phone calls throwing families into debt |url=https://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/national/cost-of-prison-phone-calls-throwing-families-into-debt |access-date=2022-04-21 |website=KMGH |language=en}}</ref>
Ameelio currently supports free communications for incarcerated individuals and their families in the states of Iowa, Colorado, and Maine.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ameelio’s free video calling service for inmates goes live at first facilities |url=https://techcrunch.com/2021/12/20/ameelios-free-video-calling-for-inmates-2022-launch/ |access-date=2022-01-31 |website=TechCrunch |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-09-22 |title=Cost of prison phone calls throwing families into debt |url=https://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/national/cost-of-prison-phone-calls-throwing-families-into-debt |access-date=2022-04-21 |website=KMGH |language=en}}</ref>


== References ==
== References ==

Latest revision as of 04:17, 26 July 2024

Ameelio is a technology non-profit which provides free communications and educational tools for incarcerated communities and their relatives. It is the first non-profit telecommunications company to provide free prison communication services in the United States.[1][2]

History

[edit]

Ameelio was co-founded in 2020 by two Yale students, Uzoma "Zo" Orchingwa and Gabriel Saruhashi, to allow incarcerated people in the United States to access free communications services.[3][4][5][6] Orchingwa and Saruhashi were motivated to found the organization because of the extremely high cost and inaccessibility of communications in prison,[7][8] which worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic.[9] At launch, it allowed users to send photos and physical print-outs of digital letters to inmates,[10] it later expanded its services to include teleconferencing.[11] The organization received funding from Jack Dorsey, Eric Schmidt, Vinod Khosla, Kevin P. Ryan, Rich Barton, Devin Wenig, and Jack Smith.[12][13]

Ameelio currently supports free communications for incarcerated individuals and their families in the states of Iowa, Colorado, and Maine.[14][15]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Their App Sends Free Mail to Incarcerated People. Now They're Helping Prisoners Register to Vote". nextcity.org. Retrieved 2022-01-31.
  2. ^ "Ameelio wants to take on for-profit, prison-calling rackets after starting with free letters to inmates". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2022-01-31.
  3. ^ "Sending a message". yalealumnimagazine.com. Retrieved 2022-01-31.
  4. ^ Koldas, Kardelen (July 8, 2021). "Uzoma "Zo" Orchingwa '14 offers sensible solutions to prison communications". Colby News.
  5. ^ "The Most Creative People in Business 2021". Fast Company. Retrieved 2022-02-24.
  6. ^ Roose, Kevin (2021-12-27). "The 2021 Good Tech Awards". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-02-24.
  7. ^ "Tech Company Aims to Disrupt Predatorial Prison Phone Industry". www.colorlines.com. 2021-02-17. Retrieved 2022-02-24.
  8. ^ Primack, Stef W. Kight, Dan (2019-06-08). "Private companies are making money off the prison system in every way imaginable". Axios. Retrieved 2022-02-24.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  9. ^ Canales, Katie. "An app will turn your digital message into a physical letter and send it to loved ones in prison for free as the pandemic bans in-person visits to jails". Business Insider. Retrieved 2022-01-31.
  10. ^ Chan, Rosalie (July 4, 2020). "Ameelio helps communicate with incarcerated loved ones for free". Business Insider. Retrieved 2022-01-31.
  11. ^ Zabbasajja, Jennifer (September 8, 2021). "Can a Nonprofit Disrupt the Pricey Prison Phone Industry?". www.bloomberg.com. Retrieved 2022-02-24.
  12. ^ Au-Yeung, Angel. "The Prison Communications Nonprofit Backed By Twitter's Jack Dorsey And Former Google Chief Eric Schmidt". Forbes. Retrieved 2022-01-31.
  13. ^ "Annual ABE grant program supports 15 'boots-on-the-ground' projects". ABA Journal. Retrieved 2022-01-31.
  14. ^ "Ameelio's free video calling service for inmates goes live at first facilities". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2022-01-31.
  15. ^ "Cost of prison phone calls throwing families into debt". KMGH. 2021-09-22. Retrieved 2022-04-21.
[edit]
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