Vigilnet America Announces Acquisition of Pennsylvania-Based Alcohol Monitoring Programs

    OMAHA, NE, February 18, 2015 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Vigilnet America LLC (Vigilnet), a provider of offender monitoring services to the criminal justice system, announced today that it has acquired the assets of Pennsylvania-based Advanced Alcohol Monitoring Programs LLC (AAMP), one of the largest providers of offender monitoring services in Pennsylvania. The acquisition makes Vigilnet one of the largest multi-state providers of alternative sentencing programs in the country. The transaction was effective February 12th, 2015.

AAMP, established in 2006, has provided services that include SCRAM Continuous Alcohol Monitoring and GPS tracking in 15 counties in western Pennsylvania. Vigilnet currently has programs operating throughout Nebraska, Oregon, Washington, Eastern Pennsylvania, and now Western Pennsylvania. According to Jake Dawes, Vigilnet's Chief Operating Officer, his company will be leveraging the business AAMP has built in the last decade and combining their resources in order to maximize Vigilnet's customer service-based model. "We recognize that high-quality support is fundamental to the success of offender management programs," says Dawes. "The jurisdictions throughout Western Pennsylvania have established a solid reputation for being tough on alcohol-involved crimes and utilizing monitoring technology to help keep their communities safe. "We look forward to partnering with these courts and communities," adds Dawes.

Vigilnet will continue to service the same counties that worked with AAMP and are excited to be bringing over to Vigilnet both Thomas Hrabovsky and David Sproat, formerly managing partners of AAMP. Mr. Hrabovsky and Mr. Sproat will assist Vigilnet in building upon the positive reputation established by AAMP in the region. Jack Ham, a Penn State Nittany Lion alum, a former Pittsburgh Steeler star and an NFL Hall of Famer, is also a founding member of AAMP and has been instrumental in working with the state agencies necessary to facilitate the placement of these technologies. Jack said "I have enjoyed my time serving the citizens of Pennsylvania. I love this great state and I hope that our work has helped to change people's lives in a positive manner."

Dan Pankow, Managing Partner of Vigilnet, says that "this purchase is consistent with our goals to build through organic growth and acquisition. It is our intention to build the finest service model in the industry. In the last year alone we have added several talented and respected individuals. Kathleen Shue in York, Pennyslvania. Mike Beckley, Division Manager for the Northeast. John Englert, one of the finest salesman on the East Coast, period. Additionally we have recently hired Duane Cole to be our Division Manager for the Northwest part of the United States. Pankow mentions that all of the individuals share the Company's vision of unmatched customer service. "There isn't anyone in the industry that is better able to lead this mission than Jake Dawes and the staff he continues to assemble," says Pankow.

The U.S. has the highest incarceration rate in the world, with overcrowded prisons and corrections costs consuming local, state and federal budgets. According to Dawes, this transaction--and Vigilnet's expansion to the eastern U.S.-- is a testament to the role that technology-enabled services like SCRAM are playing as they help alleviate overcrowding, reduce costs, protect communities and support offender rehabilitation.

"Alcohol remains at the root of most criminal offenses," says Mike Iiams, chairman and CEO of Denver-based Alcohol Monitoring Systems, which manufactures and markets SCRAM Systems technologies. "The ability to do continuous transdermal tracking for alcohol consumption has been a tremendous tool to the corrections industry, and it's the network of providers--our feet on the ground-- who are making these programs a cost-effective reality," he says. "The combination of Vigilnet and AAMP resources will enhance the delivery of these monitoring services and allow us to expand in to more jurisdictions," he adds. Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

Vigilnet is a leading provider of alternative sentencing services to the correction industry. Since 2006 the company has helped courts, probation offices and other agencies implement effective programs for offender management that reduce cost, lower recidivism and protect communities. The Company services more than 60 agencies across the country and has effectively monitored over 20,000 offenders. Vigilnet is an authorized distributor of SCRAM alcohol monitoring solutions from Alcohol Monitoring Systems, Inc. as well as other monitoring solutions and services including GPS.

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