Combined Public Communications

Combined Public Communications (CPC) operates in the specialized market of telecommunications for correctional facilities, providing services to connect incarcerated individuals with their families and friends. The company was founded in 2000 by Cathie Engle and Melody Weil. Engle brought 23 years of experience from Cincinnati Bell Telephone, where she began as an operator and advanced to management in the public sales division, working directly with payphone and inmate telephone systems. This background provided a direct line of sight into the technological and service needs of correctional facilities. The company’s establishment coincided with Cincinnati Bell's exit from the public telephone business. In 2021, CPC transitioned to an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), making every employee a stakeholder in the company's success.

The company's business model is centered on providing a suite of communication technologies as the exclusive provider for correctional facilities, including jails, halfway houses, and rehabilitation centers. Revenue is generated through the various communication services used by inmates and their contacts. These services are funded by friends and family through several payment options. Users can add funds to a "Direct Pay" account, which restricts calls to a single designated phone number, or a "PIN Debit" account, which allows the inmate to call any number. Payments are subject to processing fees, which are higher when made via a customer service representative. The company's offerings are managed through the `inmatesales.com` website and the "InmateSales" and "InmateSales View" mobile apps for funding and video visitation, respectively.

CPC's product portfolio includes telephones, tablets, video visitation kiosks, and a unique text-messaging device called a "Chirper". Beyond basic communication, the company provides tablets (AXXS Devices) with curated content focused on education, reentry programs, workforce integration, and character development to help reduce recidivism. For facility administration, CPC offers an Investigator Toolbox (ITB), a software suite designed to help staff monitor and analyze inmate communications for investigative purposes. The company also supplies document scanning services and commissary and vending machine solutions to increase facility efficiency. The service agreements with correctional facilities are typically exclusive, multi-year contracts that auto-renew unless canceled with sufficient notice.

Keywords: inmate communication services, correctional facility telecommunications, cpcjail, InmateSales, prison video visitation, inmate tablets, recidivism reduction programs, correctional technology solutions, PIN debit inmate calling, Chirper messaging, Investigator Toolbox, employee-owned company, ESOP, Cathie Engle, correctional services, jail communication systems, inmate reentry resources, law enforcement investigation tools, video kiosks, inmate commissary solutions