About / Our Model
Compassion for People
Regardless of their Backgrounds
Our Unique Model: Empowerment, Not Exploitation
Breaking Stereotypes, Building Futures
We’ve heard the whispers. We’ve seen the raised eyebrows. It’s time to set the record straight. Not every for-profit company working with prison labor is exploiting them. We’re here to prove it.
At Televerde, we’ve always believed in the transformative power of second chances. For the incarcerated women with whom we partner, society continues to define them by their mistakes. But we see beyond that. We see potential, resilience, and untapped talent. We see a future where these women aren’t defined by their past but by the incredible contributions they can make to society and the business world.
The Televerde Effect: Real Impact Real Stories
Changing Lives, One Opportunity at a Time
Our partnership with incarcerated women isn’t just about providing job opportunities; it’s about creating lifetime impact. We’re on their journey with them for the long haul. From skills training and education to mentorship and a holistic reentry program, we ensure that every woman we work with is equipped with the tools, support, and confidence to thrive in the modern workforce. Their success stories are not just a testament to their determination but also to the power of our model.
By the Numbers: The Tangible Impact
Financial Independence: Post-release, Televerde graduates secure higher wage-paying jobs, with their average lifetime earnings post-release potentially being almost 4X the national average for incarcerated females.
Education & Growth: Post-incarceration, every Televerde graduate has achieved at least a high school diploma or GED. A significant 84.4% have pursued further education, with many achieving associate, bachelor’s, or postgraduate degrees.
Reduced Recidivism: Our model has a proven track record. Televerde graduates’ recidivism rate is 91% lower than the Bureau of Justice Statistics’ national rate among females released from state prisons.
The Ripple Effect: Beyond the Individual
Our impact doesn’t stop with the individual. The benefits ripple outwards:
Families Strengthened: Two-thirds of our graduates report improved relationships with their children; many note better relationships with partners and other family members.
Impact of Children of Graduates: The children of Televerde graduates are 11 times less likely to be incarcerated and 11 times more likely to complete high school.
For a comprehensive look at our impact, Arizona State University unveiled a study that dives deep into the numbers, stories, and far-reaching effects of our model. Read it here.
But Don’t Take Our Word for It: Voices of Transformation
Step Into Their World, Hear Their Truth
Take a seat at our Televerde Virtual Roundtable. Here, you’re not just an observer; you’re a participant in a transformative experience. Hear directly from the remarkable women who make up our workforce as they share their raw, unfiltered journeys. From the depths of challenges to the peaks of triumphs, their stories shatter societal stigmas and stand as powerful testaments to the transformative power of a second chance. This isn’t just a conversation; it’s an invitation to witness the undeniable impact of belief and opportunity.
Our Promise & Commitment
Transformation is a journey, not a destination. Even after release, Televerde stands by the women who partner with us, offering support, resources, and a network of successful graduates. Through Televerde Foundation, we ensure they have the tools to transition back into society, build meaningful relationships, discover hidden talents, and achieve their goals.
Televerde is more than just a business model; it’s a movement toward genuine social impact, empowerment, transformation and lifetime impact. Join us on this journey, and let’s redefine what’s possible together.
“I can say with confidence that any woman who can succeed within Televerde’s organization could succeed in a similar role nearly anywhere. I would put our Televerde team against any other sales group doing a similar function and be confident in the results they could produce.”
-Sevki Inan, Vice President of Inside Sales, Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence
Frequently Asked Questions:
Yes, we use a socially-responsible business model that engages incarcerated women in our workforce, focusing on skill development, empowerment, and lifetime impact. This model not only provides the women with valuable opportunities for personal growth and reintegration into society but also offers significant business benefits to our clients. Our workforce is marked by an impressive average tenure of 4.5 years, high skill levels, and a deep commitment to understanding and delivering on client needs. This unique approach has been pivotal in generating over $14 billion in revenue for our clients since 1994, showcasing the effectiveness and mutual benefits of our model.
Our agents come from varied backgrounds and careers. From bankers and professors to women with little to no business experience.
We have a minimum education requirement of a high school diploma, so many women get their GED in prison to qualify for consideration into the Televerde program.
We teach all our agents the basics of marketing including how to utilize personas, create and adhere to messaging and tips to finding final decision makers and influencers within target organizations. Sometimes referred to as a “mini MBA,” we teach callers how to be consultative business partners for clients.
We use a combination of in-class, online and study group-based learning to give women multiple avenues to develop and sharpen their skills. We use real-time coaching and review 100% of deliverables to clients to ensure conversations are of the highest caliber. We also offer certifications and advanced career opportunities in all Televerde departments including executive level positions as women progress in their lives and experience.
All agents are trained in the most cutting-edge technology on the market (e.g., Salesforce, Eloqua and Marketo), as well as the hard and soft skills needed to close deals, communicate with c-suite executives, and collaborate with Televerde clients’ sales and marketing teams. This level of knowledge and job experience increases their marketability and provides a clear advantage over others in the hiring process when they’re released.
We pay state minimum wage for the right to work with the women in the states where we operate. Each state makes some deductions for a personal savings account to help with reentry upon release, and if applicable, for restitution, child support, and the cost of incarceration. As a company, we add to that monetary compensation by providing access to earn online certifications, college courses, and other higher learning opportunities through Televerde and Televerde Foundation. We also offer career pathing into other areas of the business so women can grow as they learn. Today, Televerde employs more than 100 formerly incarcerated women at our corporate office and has witnessed thousands more gain successful employment with the skills developed during their tenure with our organization.
The women of Televerde earn college credits for completing company-sponsored training programs at our contact centers. Between the sales and marketing training they receive as part of the job and the company-sponsored programs at our contact centers, our women are well prepared for a career post-release. They have the opportunity to work for Televerde post-release, contributing to every department at all levels of the organization, including the C-suite. Hundreds more have gained successful employment at other companies, including many of our clients, because of the hard and soft skills and business acumen developed during their tenure with our organization. Since 2006, Televerde has provided pre- and post-release programs for its incarcerated workforce through a non-profit organization. In 2020, the Televerde Foundation was launched to provide more robust personal and professional development opportunities throughout the duration of a woman’s prison sentence and for two years following release. The foundation’s program focuses on workplace readiness, career development, financial literacy, personal leadership, health and wellness, and community reintegration.
Televerde has partnerships with the States of Arizona, Florida, and Indiana to provide job opportunities to incarcerated women.
We examine incarceration rates, education levels, and correctional industry experience, with private-sector partners and prison operations. This due diligence ensures we are working with the right partners and that we can support our clients in a way that drives the highest success rates in their demand generation, inbound customer support, and customer acquisition programs.
Televerde also has three call centers in Phoenix, Arizona; Cordoba, Argentina; and Glasgow, Scotland, which are not based in prisons.
Televerde’s commitment to working with disempowered populations has produced remarkable results both for clients and communities over the past 29 years.
Arizona State University’s Seidman Research Institute recently released findings that reviewed the economic, social and fiscal impact of Televerde’s prison workforce development program on individuals, families, and the state of Arizona.
The results reveal that graduates of Televerde’s program go on to attain employment, earnings, and education at higher rates and reoffend at significantly lower rates than other formerly incarcerated females in the United States. Read the full report here.
Televerde is viewed as a “business as a force for good” by the most responsible business organizations and non-profits in the world.
Televerde joined the United Nations Global Compact, a voluntary leadership platform for the development, implementation and disclosure of responsible business practices. Launched in 2000, the United Nations Global Compact is the largest corporate sustainability initiative in the world, with more than 9,500 companies and 3,000 non-business signatories based in over 160 countries. Members of the United Nations Global Compact have visions that align with the Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations General Assembly.
