U-Connect

Digital communications and services. Security without compromise.

U-Connect is a secure digital communication platform helping prisoners in custodial environments maintain vital social, legal and professional connections - with friends, family, legal representatives, supporting their wellbeing and rehabilitation.

U-Connect combines public-facing services – digital messaging, secure payments, video calls, and telephony with a powerful staff management platform, ensuring that communication enhances wellbeing without compromising security.

Automated screening, translation, transcription, and intelligent prioritisation are supported by secure AI capabilities, operating strictly within defined governance, policy, and regulatory constraints.

Get in Touch
unilink_hubspot_optimised_4

Communication Services

Designed specifically for custodial environments, U-Connect communication services operate across both digitally enabled and non-digital establishments. All services are centrally managed, fully auditable, and configurable to local policy and regulatory requirements.

U-Connect communication services can be deployed standalone to provide secure foundations for modern, compliant custodial communications.

U-Connect Diagram V2 (3)

Key Benefits

Benefits to prisons (the establishment)

Improved safety and safeguarding

Improved safety and safeguarding

Operational oversight and consistency

Operational oversight and consistency

Auditability and assurance

Auditability and assurance

Reduced reliance on legacy processes

Reduced reliance on legacy processes

Flexible deployment

Flexible deployment

Benefits to prison officers and staff teams

Less manual handling and faster decisions

Less manual handling and faster decisions

Simplified management

Simplified management

Better control in day-to-day operations

Better control in day-to-day operations

Reduced finance administration

Reduced finance administration

More effective oversight of voice and video

More effective oversight of voice and video

Benefits to families and friends of prisoners (approved contacts)

Easier, safer contact

Easier, safer contact

Faster, more reliable messaging

Faster, more reliable messaging

Secure, convenient payments

Secure, convenient payments

More ways to stay connected

More ways to stay connected

Accessibility support where needed

Accessibility support where needed

Public-Facing Digital Services

Public-facing services provide prisoners' families and approved contacts with secure access to messaging, payments, and video call bookings through a separate public website, allowing secure access to the services, while enabling prison staff to maintain oversight and control.

Get in touch to find out more

eMates - Secure Messaging

At the heart of U-Connect is eMates, Unilink’s secure messaging service that enables families, friends and legal representatives to send digital messages with attachments and replies to prisoners, providing a secure alternative to traditional paper-based correspondence.

Messages and attachments are automatically screened in line with local and national policy before delivery. A dedicated staff management portal allows staff to review, block, or approve messages for release.

Messaging operates across both digital and non-digital prisons, supporting electronic delivery where available and controlled paper fulfilment where necessary.

Go to E-Messaging

Secure Payments

U-Connect includes a secure digital payment service that allows friends and family to transfer funds safely and efficiently to residents. The service replaces cash, cheques, and postal orders with a controlled electronic payment process, improving security, traceability, and operational efficiency.

Payments are routed securely to the correct recipient account, subject to configurable limits and controls, and deposited into trusted institutional bank accounts. Staff access reporting and reconciliation tools that provide full visibility of transactions, supporting finance processes, audit readiness, and compliance.

Go to Secure Payments

Video Calling

U-Connect provides secure, managed video call service for social, legal, and professional interactions with prisoners. The service integrates with custodial management systems for booking and scheduling providing consistency, security and auditability across establishments.

Pre-booked, authorised video calls are delivered within clearly defined rules with built-in identity verification and monitoring controls to ensure that only approved participants attend sessions, while staff maintain the ability to oversee, intervene, or terminate sessions where required.

Go to Video Calling

Staff Oversight & Control

Across all U-Connect services, staff maintain full operational oversight through secure management interfaces. Communication rules, approvals, monitoring, alerts, and audit are centrally configured and consistently enforced across establishments.

A dedicated staff portal enables local staff to manage, oversee and control incoming communications. Secure AI capabilities are embedded to support automated screening, translation, transcription, and intelligent prioritisation, operating strictly within defined governance, policy, and regulatory constraints. AI enhances efficiency and accessibility while preserving human oversight and accountability

Get in touch to find out more

Don't just take our word for it

Read what our customers say about us.

"As part of the digitalisation program we have been promised “all singing and dancing” systems and out of all the systems that have been implemented, or attempted to, the Unilink system is the only one that has delivered more than what has been promised and more than what we expected.”
Phil Husband, Governor HMP Durham
“From a staff perspective there is no doubt that this has taken an immense amount of mundane administration away and released them to concentrate on core delivery of security and supervision”
Prison Officer, HMP
“This is probably the most significant technological innovation in prison management that I have ever seen”
Prison Officer, HMP
“Prisoners can now have the confidence that what they input into the machine is actioned immediately”
Prison Officer, HMP
“The Kiosks are fantastic. Their introduction has meant that they have cut down on all the paperwork that was associated with prisoner monies and canteen. It is these areas that have undoubtedly had the most effect”
Prison Officer, HMP