VIA Announces Milestone: 10,000th Contraband Cell Phone Terminated using GHOST™ Technology in Georgia
Milestone highlights effectiveness of VIA’s GHOST™ solution in disrupting criminal networks and keeping communities safer
BOSTON, MA – February 17, 2026 – VIA Science, Inc. (VIA) today announced a major public safety milestone: the termination of the 10,000th contraband cell phone operating inside Georgia state prisons using VIA’s GHOST™ solution. GHOST™ is an AI-powered corrections intelligence platform that supports a range of critical security missions, including identifying and targeting unlawful devices inside correctional facilities. The system enables rapid termination of contraband devices at scale to disrupt criminal activity without interfering with legitimate communications used by staff, visitors, or surrounding communities.
VIA’s Chase Hallman presents Tyrone Oliver from Georgia Department of Corrections with first-ever National Excellence in Intelligence-Led Corrections Award at the ACA Winter Conference alongside VIA’s Joe Babiec and David Gittelson from SDF, the nation’s largest fixed Contraband Interdiction System provider
“The termination of 10,000 contraband cell phones is not symbolic, it represents dangerous criminal plots disrupted and countless moments when officers and communities were made safer,” said Joe Babiec, Chief Commercial Officer at VIA. “Georgia is proving that this problem is solvable when advanced technology, powered by artificial intelligence, is deployed smartly and at scale.”
The achievement was recognized earlier this month at the American Correctional Association (ACA) Conference in Long Beach, California, underscoring Georgia’s leadership in addressing one of the most persistent and dangerous threats facing correctional systems nationwide.
Contraband cell phones are not merely prohibited items in prisons, but critical tools being used by incarcerated individuals to coordinate drug trafficking, human trafficking, gang activity, witness intimidation, consumer scams, and other criminal enterprises that extend well beyond prison walls. These devices pose serious risks to correctional facilities and the public, effectively turning prisons into command-and-control hubs for criminal activity.
Rising operational complexities across all correctional agencies are making traditional interdiction methods, such as manual searches, canine units, and metal detectors difficult to sustain. Georgia has taken a different approach in combating these complexities by leveraging cutting-edge technology powered by artificial intelligence while preserving safety and operational continuity.
“The safety of correctional facilities is public safety,” added Chase Hallman, Director of Public Safety Business Development at VIA and former corrections official. “When criminal networks lose the ability to operate from inside prison walls, officers are safer and communities are stronger.”
Georgia’s 10,000th contraband cell phone termination sets a new benchmark for public safety and signals a path forward for other state policymakers and regulators seeking to protect their facilities, personnel, and the public. As states evaluate investments in correctional technology and approaches to contraband mitigation, Georgia’s results demonstrate that targeted, intelligence-driven solutions can deliver measurable public safety outcomes.
About VIA
Headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, VIA is a mission-critical software company that enables organizations to share and analyze sensitive, distributed data at speed without compromising security or control. VIA’s decentralized architecture keeps data sovereign, while its agentic AI helps organizations solve critical challenges, and its military-grade security governs access. Designed for simplicity, rapid deployment, and disconnected, contested environments, VIA makes sensitive data usable wherever the mission happens, even offline. The Department of War, federal and state law enforcement, Fortune 50, and critical infrastructure companies around the globe trust VIA to help them solve their toughest analytics and digital security challenges.
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