The deal sees SecureTrading handling all transactions across the PTS portfolio. The firm's innovative offerings provide enhanced outside contact for prisoners, improving their chances of rehabilitation while reducing prison running costs.

These services include Email a Prisoner, which enables users to email prisoners from any computer for less than the price of a second class stamp. The business also provides Secure Payment Services, which delivers fast and secure e-payments to inmates, removing the need for cheques, postal orders and cash.

SecureTrading was awarded the contract following acompetitive tender, and will be providing a range of antifraud services on top of the payment gateway, which boasts 100% API uptime.

PTS provides all its services free of charge to prisons and a range of other establishments, such as detention and immigration removal centres. The company has experienced rapid growth since being founded in 2006 by former prison inmate Derek Jones, and was acquired in 2012 by Unilink Software, the market leader in prisoner self-service technologies

Francis Toye, managing director at Unilink Systemssaid: "PTS is an ambitious, growing company, that's primed for expansion. We needed a payment processor that could support that growth, and that's exactly what we've got with SecureTrading."

Justin Fraser, sales and marketing director at SecureTrading said: "Prison Technology Services has an incredibly innovative offering, and their attitude and energy fits very well with our own. This is a great example of the diversity and quality of the businesses that we work with and add value to on a daily basis."