De-Carceration Fund

Las Vegas, NV | pigeonly.com

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Pigeon.ly is the first company to organize the public records of the 2.3 million
people who are incarcerated in the 7,000 county, state, and federal prison institutions across the US. This central database powers the online platform that enables family and friends to easily locate and stay in touch with their incarcerated loved ones. Piegon.ly’s low-cost communication services support inmates and their return as ex-offenders to productive members of society. Pigeon.ly—named for the pigeon post services of wartime fame—wants to become a bridge between those who live in a digital world and those who are imprisoned in an analog one. Customers subscribe to the app for a monthly fee, ranging from $7.99 to $19.99, in order to send photos and messages and have access to cheaper online phone rates. The company’s long-term mission is to be a trusted brand of support services and
products that help reduce the high rates of recidivism in the US.

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Impact:

• Builds technology products to help those incarcerated connect with their families and
  loved ones on the outside. In the US, there are 2.3 million Americans incarnated right now. 95% of them will be released at some point, and two-thirds of those released will be rearrested within three years. High rates of recidivism result in enormous costs to society in terms of public safety and taxes spent to arrest, prosecute, and incarcerate re-offenders.

• According to the Vera Institute, “Incarcerated men and women who maintain contact with supportive family members are more likely to succeed after their release. Prison inmates who had more contact with their families and who reported positive relationships overall are less likely to be re-incarcerated.” However, connecting families and inmates can be challenging. Inmate data is publicly available but tracking down a loved one can be difficult as inmates move from facility to facility. Pigeon.ly’s inmate
  database allows users to find and add incarcerated loved ones to their account and if an inmate is transferred to a different facility, this information is automatically updated in the Pigeon.ly system so that they can stay connected. Pigeon.ly has already provided over $10 million in savings to inmates and connected 150,000 inmates with family and loved ones.

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