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Securus Technologies Seeks to Support Incarcerated Individuals in Reshaping their Futures With Expanded Access to Educational Programs Available Through Tablet Technology

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Spending time on education and skill-building while incarcerated promotes stronger re-entry outcomes

DALLAS, Nov. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Over the past five years, Securus Technologies has expanded opportunities for incarcerated individuals to access and benefit from education resources that promote stronger reentry outcomes. As an Aventiv Technologies company and the leading provider of connections between incarcerated individuals and their loved ones, Securus offers free and premium access to educational, vocational, and rehabilitative curricula. The company also enables connections to scholarships and mentorship through ScholarCHIPS, a nonprofit supporting children of incarcerated parents. By investing more than $600 million to deploy technology, including 600,000 tablets in correctional facilities nationwide, Securus aims to close the education gap affecting justice-impacted families.

According to the Prison Policy Institute, formerly incarcerated individuals are nearly twice as likely to lack a high school credential and eight times less likely to complete college than the general public. Yet, according to the Vera Institute, incarcerated individuals who participate in educational programs are 52 percent more likely to remain in their communities, demonstrating that education is a critical factor in breaking the cycle of recidivism.

“Technology offers a scaled solution to connect incarcerated individuals to educational and job training resources that help break the recidivism cycle,” said Kevin Elder, President, Securus Technologies. “More than 600,000 Securus tablets available in corrections facilities nationwide offer free and premium content that encourage learning and skill building. Our offerings from 22 colleges and universities have connected more than 17,000 incarcerated learners to post-secondary education equating to more than 300,000 credit hours, positively impacting the trajectory of their own lives, and those of their families and communities.”

Securus remains committed to using technology to help bridge the digital divide, connecting justice-impacted individuals to high-quality content and resources, to help them plan their path to reentry starting on day one:

With Edovo, a tech nonprofit providing free educational and vocational curricula, Securus connects incarcerated learners to free skill-building programs via a cloud-based platform. To date, using Securus devices, Edovo has delivered over 3.27 million educational hours to more than 500,000 incarcerated individuals in more than 550 corrections facilities nationwideSecurus has a partnership with Essential Education, a platform that provides incarcerated individuals access to premium education and reentry programming, including GED prep, HiSET prep, computer competency, and financial literacy, among other offerings. The platform brings flexibility for self-paced, adaptive lessons to corrections tablets, supplementing classroom-specific instruction. More than 2,700 students have accessed Essential Education on Securus devices, logging 400 plus study hours in preparation for a high school equivalency examVia a partnership with JSTOR, a digital library of academic journals, books, and primary sources, incarcerated individuals in the Florida Department of Corrections can access a digital academic research library, providing access to millions of journal articles, books, and images, spanning hundreds of disciplines at no cost. JSTOR is coming to Securus tablets in the Missouri Department of Corrections and the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation, and Re-EntryIn May 2024, Securus partnered with Tooling U, a workforce development organization that produces software, certifications, and content for the manufacturing industry for free for incarcerated individuals. To date, 21 students completed the program, of which,12 earned their Certified Manufacturing Associate’s certification and eight returned home to secure employment

Securus recognizes that the education gap affects more than just those within correctional facilities. Nationally, 2.7 million children—about the population of Mississippi—have an incarcerated parent. These children may encounter barriers to academic success, including higher rates of special education placement, reduced school retention, and increased delinquency. Securus’s partnership with ScholarCHIPS, a nonprofit providing scholarships and mentorship to children of incarcerated parents, can help correct this critical challenge by connecting youth impacted by the justice system to resources that allow them to pursue their education.

“All too often, the children of incarcerated individuals face significant challenges in pursuing their academic and career dreams, reducing their chance to create change within themselves, their families, and their communities,” said Yasmine Arrington Brooks, Founder and Executive Director of ScholarCHIPS. “Growing up as a justice-impacted individual, I searched for ways to bridge the financial gap so I could complete my college education and then founded ScholarCHIPS to provide justice-impacted youth with opportunities to pursue higher education and break out of cycles of poverty and incarceration.”

Since its inception, ScholarCHIPS has awarded over $500,000 in scholarships to 100 young people, including more than 2,500 hours of mentorship. To date, ScholarCHIPS has seen 45 scholars through to college graduation, and ninety percent of scholars are on track to graduate from college within the next five years. In 2024, Securus made the ScholarCHIPS application and award process available across its 600,000 tablets nationwide, resulting in a 900 percent increase in scholarship applications across 27 states. As a result of this work, ScholarCHIPS has been selected by the International Academy of Digital Arts & Sciences as a finalist for The Anthem Awards in several categories.

“National Education Month is a time to celebrate the power of learning, recognizing children of incarcerated parents can face entirely different obstacles when navigating the educational system,” said Anye Young, a ScholarCHIPS recipient and current Community Engagement Intern at Aventiv. “Thanks to ScholarCHIPS, I attended the University of Southern California, earned my degree, and now work for Aventiv in a community engagement role where I am helping identify programming and partnerships that allow justice-impacted families to feel supported, connected, and empowered.”

Education provides incarcerated individuals with hope and purpose. Securus is committed to expanding access to education across correctional facilities nationwide, so incarcerated individuals have the opportunity and tools to succeed.

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.

About Edovo
At Edovo, we are committed to making a real difference in the lives of incarcerated individuals. We believe that education is a powerful tool for transformation, and we have seen firsthand how our programming can help incarcerated learners build skills, improve their outlook, and prepare for a successful reentry into society. Our story began in 2012 when our founder, Brian Hill, recognized a need for better educational opportunities in correctional facilities. Since then, we have grown from a small startup to a national leader within correctional education and rehabilitation, establishing partnerships with some of the most respected organizations in the field of corrections, education and rehabilitation while serving hundreds of correctional facilities and tens of thousands of incarcerated learners across the country. To learn more about Edovo, please visit us here: https://www.edovo.org/

About Essential Education
Since 2002, Essential Education has empowered over 4.5 million adults to achieve their life goals through their award-winning online learning system and print materials. Their innovative solutions have revolutionized adult education by providing an array of programs that cater to the diverse needs of adult learners. From comprehensive low-level adult basic education to high school equivalency test preparation and essential workforce readiness skills, they have reshaped the landscape of adult education. Their programs are thoughtfully designed to assist educators in achieving their desired success, offering a guided pathway for each student that seamlessly supports both traditional classrooms and virtual learning environments.

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 https://www.scholarchipsfund.org/, and follow them on Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

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Care Career Announces Acquisition of MAS Medical Staffing, Completing Its First Acquisition Phase and Expanding Annual Revenue Beyond $150 Million, with a Path to Exceed a Quarter Billion by the End of 2026 Through Additional Acquisitions and Organic Growth

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WOODBRIDGE, N.J., July 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Care Career, a rapidly growing healthcare workforce technology organization, today announced the acquisition of MAS Medical Staffing, one of the Northeast’s leading healthcare workforce organizations. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

The acquisition represents Care Career’s seventh strategic acquisition in the past 24 months, further strengthening the company’s position as one of the largest healthcare workforce organizations in the United States while accelerating its strategy to redefine the future of healthcare workforce management through artificial intelligence, enterprise technology, and workforce innovation.

MAS Medical Staffing has built an outstanding reputation for delivering high-quality workforce solutions through strong client relationships, exceptional clinician engagement, and deep regional expertise throughout the Northeastern United States. The acquisition significantly expands Care Career’s geographic footprint while broadening its access to healthcare professionals, client relationships, workforce data, and regional market intelligence.

Care Career is building a technology-enabled workforce ecosystem powered by its AI-powered workforce platform, where every acquisition contributes not only additional market presence, but also expanded data, enhanced artificial intelligence capabilities, digital innovation, and operational scale that continuously improve the experience for clients and clinicians alike. As the platform grows, every clinician engagement, client interaction, credential, placement, and workforce trend strengthens the intelligence of Career’s technology, creating a continuously improving ecosystem designed to deliver faster, smarter, and more effective workforce solutions.

The acquisition also brings MAS Medical Staffing’s MAESTRA® engagement technology, along with its client relationships and clinician network, directly onto Career’s AI-powered workforce platform. MAESTRA’s scheduling, credentialing, and communication capabilities will be integrated into Care Career’s existing technology stack, further enhancing clinician engagement across onboarding, scheduling, and career management while providing healthcare organizations with greater workforce visibility and operational efficiency.

“Our vision is to build the AI-powered infrastructure that modernizes healthcare workforce management,” said Siva Konatham, Group President and Chief Executive Officer of Care Career. “Under my leadership, Care Career is focused on transforming a fragmented, labor-intensive industry into a data-driven, technology-enabled ecosystem that improves speed, efficiency, and workforce visibility for healthcare providers. Each acquisition strengthens our platform intelligence, expands our scale, and enhances our margin potential. By integrating advanced analytics, AI automation, and digital engagement tools, we are not just growing revenue—we are building a smarter, more scalable model positioned to lead the next era of healthcare workforce solutions.”

The combined organization will leverage expanded recruiting resources, centralized credentialing, advanced workforce analytics, AI-enabled automation, and digital engagement technologies—all powered by Care Career’s AI-powered workforce platform—to deliver broader recruiting capabilities, faster response times, enhanced workforce insights, and expanded national coverage. Clinicians will benefit from a seamless digital experience that simplifies every stage of their careers—from job discovery and credentialing to onboarding, scheduling, communication, and long-term career development.

With seven strategic acquisitions completed in less than two years, representing the first round of acquisitions now totaling more than $150 million in annual revenue, Care Career has rapidly expanded its national presence while executing a disciplined growth strategy focused on technology integration, operational excellence, and workforce innovation. The company has also signed additional Letters of Intent with other entities with expected close dates in the third quarter of 2026. Upon completion of these transactions, coupled with organic growth, Care Career expects consolidated annual revenue to exceed a quarter of a billion dollars by the end of 2026.

The addition of MAS Medical Staffing further strengthens the organization’s ability to serve healthcare systems, hospitals, long-term care providers, outpatient facilities, and other healthcare organizations across an increasingly diverse geographic footprint.

“The healthcare workforce industry is entering a new era where technology, artificial intelligence, and data-driven decision-making will define the market leaders,” Konatham added. “Every acquisition we complete expands the intelligence of our AI-powered workforce platform, enhances the value we deliver to our clients, and creates more opportunities for clinicians. We believe the combination of exceptional people, innovative technology, and strategic scale positions Care Career to lead the next generation of healthcare workforce solutions.”

About Care Career

Care Career is a technology-enabled healthcare workforce solutions company dedicated to transforming how healthcare organizations recruit, engage, credential, deploy, and retain clinical talent. Powered by its proprietary AI-powered workforce platform and supported by advanced artificial intelligence, enterprise technology, and workforce analytics, Care Career is building an intelligent healthcare workforce ecosystem that connects providers and clinicians more efficiently while improving workforce performance, operational effectiveness, and patient care. Following seven strategic acquisitions over the past 24 months the first round of acquisitions totaling more than $150 million in annual revenue and with additional signed LOIs under contract expected to complete shortly, positioning the company to surpass a quarter of a billion dollars in consolidated annual revenue by the end of 2026, Care Career has become one of the nation’s largest and fastest-growing healthcare workforce organizations, serving healthcare providers and clinicians across the United States.

About MAS Medical Staffing

MAS Medical Staffing is a premier healthcare workforce organization recognized for exceptional service, strong client partnerships, and a commitment to connecting healthcare professionals with rewarding career opportunities. With an established presence throughout the Northeastern United States, MAS Medical Staffing has earned a reputation for quality, responsiveness, and delivering workforce solutions that help healthcare providers meet their evolving workforce needs while supporting clinicians throughout every stage of their careers.

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PointsKash Demonstrates How Businesses Can Build on Bitcoin Without Burdening the Blockchain

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As industry debate surrounding Bitcoin Improvement Proposal (BIP-110) intensifies, PointsKash unveils an architecture designed to work regardless of the proposal’s outcome.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., July 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — As the global Bitcoin community debates Bitcoin Improvement Proposal 110 (BIP-110) and the future of data stored on the Bitcoin blockchain, PointsKash, Inc. today announced that its next-generation kiosk infrastructure was intentionally designed to operate efficiently under any outcome of the proposal.

Rather than storing operational data directly on the Bitcoin blockchain, PointsKash utilizes a layered architecture that combines Bitcoin‘s unmatched security with modern decentralized communications technology. Every transaction, machine event, system update, and operational record generated across the PointsKash network is cryptographically verified, securely maintained off-chain, and anchored to the Bitcoin blockchain through a single immutable cryptographic proof.

This approach allows thousands of operational events to be permanently verified while utilizing only a minimal amount of blockchain data.

As discussion surrounding BIP-110 has intensified across the digital asset industry, PointsKash believes the debate does not require choosing between innovation and responsible blockchain stewardship.

“The industry has been debating whether businesses can build meaningful applications on Bitcoin without unnecessarily consuming blockchain space,” said Michael Herron, Chief Executive Officer of PointsKash. “We believe we’ve demonstrated that the answer is yes. Bitcoin provides the world’s most trusted immutable timestamp and security layer, while higher-volume operational data belongs on technologies specifically designed to manage it. By combining both, we’ve built an architecture that is scalable, transparent, and future-ready regardless of how the BIP-110 discussion ultimately evolves.”

The company’s infrastructure assigns every kiosk its own unique cryptographic identity, allowing each machine to securely authenticate every transaction and operational event. Those records are then independently verifiable through cryptographic proofs while remaining resistant to alteration or manipulation—even by PointsKash itself.

According to the company, this architecture delivers several significant advantages:

Mathematically verifiable transaction records for regulators, banking partners, auditors, and enterprise customers.Improved network reliability, allowing kiosks to continue operating during temporary connectivity interruptions without losing transaction history.Enhanced cybersecurity, with every machine maintaining its own authenticated identity and secure communications.A scalable blockchain architecture that minimizes on-chain data while preserving complete auditability.

Bitcoin was created to provide trust, security, and permanence—not to become a storage system for every piece of application data,” Herron added. “Our philosophy has always been simple: use Bitcoin for what it does better than anyone else—creating immutable proof that records have never been altered—and leverage modern decentralized technologies for everything else. We believe that’s the future of enterprise blockchain infrastructure.”

PointsKash believes this architecture positions the company among a new generation of fintech innovators utilizing Bitcoin as a secure trust layer while developing scalable financial applications for enterprise deployment.

The technology also establishes the foundation for future blockchain-based financial products currently under development, including enhanced digital audit capabilities, verifiable financial records, enterprise licensing opportunities, and next-generation digital asset infrastructure.

As the Bitcoin ecosystem continues to mature, PointsKash believes its technology demonstrates that responsible innovation and blockchain scalability can successfully coexist—providing enterprise organizations with the confidence to build on Bitcoin without contributing unnecessary data to the network.

About PointsKash, Inc.

PointsKash, Inc. is a financial technology company developing an integrated ecosystem of AI-enabled self-service financial centers, digital banking, digital payment solutions, cryptocurrency services, loyalty rewards, enterprise merchant technologies, and mobile financial applications. Through proprietary software, Artificial Intelligence, and strategic partnerships, PointsKash is building innovative financial solutions designed to empower consumers, merchants, and enterprise organizations throughout North America.

For more information, visit www.pointskash.com.

Media Contact

PointsKash, Inc.
Investor Relations
info@pointskash.com
www.pointskash.com

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements regarding anticipated technology integrations, Artificial Intelligence initiatives, product development, future commercialization plans, expected operational efficiencies, business strategy, and future growth. These statements are based on current expectations and involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied. Factors that could affect actual results include, but are not limited to, technology development timelines, integration efforts, financing, regulatory developments, market conditions, and other risks facing the Company. PointsKash undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements except as required by applicable law.

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As ADA Anniversary Approaches, University of Phoenix Survey Highlights AI’s Potential to Advance Accessibility in Work and Learning

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Survey conducted by The Harris Poll on behalf of University of Phoenix finds among those already using AI in the workplace, 60% say AI has improved their knowledge of and ability to use accessibility standards and guidelines.

PHOENIX, July 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — As artificial intelligence becomes part of how people work, learn and solve problems, a new University of Phoenix survey conducted by The Harris Poll finds that recent working learners see meaningful opportunities for AI to support accessibility. The survey was designed to understand the impact of AI in the workplace and learning environments on accessibility, defined as ensuring digital content, tools and resources, including AI tools and output, are usable by people with different abilities through inclusive design, use of assistive technology or conformance with accessibility standards, such as the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). The findings are being released ahead of the 36th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) on July 26.

The survey, conducted among 1,019 U.S. employed adults who completed a professionally presented training or school course in the past 12 months (“recent working learners”), found that, among workers already using AI in the workplace, 3 in 5 (60%) say AI has improved their knowledge of and ability to use accessibility standards and guidelines, including nearly 1 in 5 (19%) who report significant improvement. 

While the findings point to optimism about AI’s accessibility potential, they also reveal an opportunity for clearer organizational guidance: 45% of respondents say accessibility is absent from, unclear in, or they are uncertain whether it is covered by their workplace AI policies.

“The reality is that accessibility benefits everyone,” shares Kelly Hermann, Vice President of Accessibility and Student Affairs at University of Phoenix. “If accessibility is built in from the beginning, organizations are more likely to create AI-enabled environments that are universally usable. Clearer content, better summaries, accurate captions, and multiple formats can help workers and learners with disabilities, but they also help busy adults, multilingual learners, mobile users, and anyone trying to absorb information quickly.”

Key findings from the survey include:

Workers see AI’s accessibility potential: 89% of recent working learners identify workflows that could benefit from AI and accessibility tools, especially creating accessible documents, presentations, websites or learning materials (38%), presenting information in different formats such as plain language, audio, summaries or translations (33%), and training employees or learners on accessibility practices (30%).AI may help build accessibility awareness: Among those already using AI in the workplace, 60% say AI has improved their knowledge of and ability to use accessibility standards and guidelines.Accessibility is not always clear in workplace AI policies: 45% of recent working learners say accessibility is absent from, unclear in, or they are uncertain whether it is covered by their workplace AI policies.AI tools may not yet fully support different access needs: Among those who use workplace AI tools, only about a quarter of survey respondents (27%) say AI tools available through their workplace or professional learning environment support people with disabilities very well.Human oversight remains important: 36% of recent working learners say human review for important decisions or high-impact work should be part of responsible AI use at work or school.Workers also recognize how AI and accessibility can have an impact on their own career journey: 90% of recent working learners identify AI and accessibility skills that would be valuable in their current or desired career field, including 45% who see value in understanding when AI-generated content needs human review.

Why accessibility is essential to responsible AI adoption

As AI tools are used to draft documents, summarize information, generate captions and transcripts, create image descriptions, support learning and assist with workplace tasks, accessibility becomes central to responsible use. Poorly implemented AI can also create or amplify barriers, including inaccessible content, inaccurate summaries, biased outputs and tools that do not work effectively with assistive technologies.

“Responsible AI is not only about productivity,” Hermann said. “It is about whether the technology works for the people who need to use it. AI can help create more accessible materials and more flexible ways to engage with information, but it still requires clear policies, practical training and human judgment to make sure the outputs are accurate, applicable and usable.”

What the findings mean for employers and educators

The survey suggests that organizations have an opportunity to align AI adoption with supportive design, accessibility practices and workforce training. Employers and educators can take immediate steps by:

Naming accessibility directly in AI policies and guidance.Choosing AI tools with accessibility and assistive technology compatibility in mind.Training workers and learners to create, check and improve accessible AI-generated content.Making support pathways clear for people who experience barriers using AI tools.Keeping human review in place for important decisions, high-impact work and accessibility-sensitive outputs.

The survey also found workers want practical AI training. The most helpful resources identified by recent working learners include real-world examples from their field or industry (36%), hands-on practice using realistic workplace scenarios (34%) and step-by-step demonstrations of common tasks (33%).

Accessibility insights from University of Phoenix

Hermann shared the survey findings ahead of the ADA anniversary in recent media interviews. Hermann oversees the University’s accessibility initiative, including evaluation and remediation of curricular resources, the Center for Access, Resources, Engagement and Support Services (CARES), and the Office of Collaborative Learning and Educational Engagement. Her work focuses on fostering accessible and welcoming educational environments for students, faculty and staff.

Hermann’s office at University of Phoenix also convenes accessibility conversations through initiatives such as Access Amplified™, a free, annual virtual event focused on advancing digital accessibility in web development. The event brings together engineers, developers, designers, content authors and digital strategists for practical strategies and human-centered conversations that address the gap between coding practices and how users with assistive technology experience the web.

About the survey

The survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of University of Phoenix from June 22–29, 2026, among 1,019 employed adults ages 18 and older who have taken a professionally presented training or a school course in the past 12 months, referred to as “recent working learners.” Data were weighted where necessary by age, gender, race/ethnicity, region, education, employment, marital status, household size, household income and smoking status to bring them in line with their actual proportions in the population.

Respondents for this survey were selected from among those who have agreed to participate in surveys. The sampling precision of Harris online polls is measured by using a Bayesian credible interval. For this study, the sample data is accurate to within +/- 3.8 percentage points using a 95% confidence level. This credible interval will be wider among subsets of the surveyed population of interest.

Review the complete survey at phoenix.edu/aiaccessibility.

About University of Phoenix

University of Phoenix is Built for Real Life. 50 Years Strong. The University innovates to help working adults enhance their careers and develop skills in a rapidly changing world through flexible online learning, relevant courses, academic AI pillars, and skills-mapped curriculum for associate, bachelor’s and master’s degree programs. Active students and alumni have access to Career Services for Life® resources including career guidance and tools. For more information, visit phoenix.edu. 

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