Cumberland tech startup that's aiming to change criminal justice now changes CEOs
Courtesy / Reconnect
Pete Andrews is the new CEO of Reconnect Inc., based in Cumberland.
A new CEO has taken the reins of a Cumberland technology startup whose electronic supervision systems replace the bulky ankle monitors you see on TV crime dramas.
Reconnect Inc., led and relaunched by Sam Hotchkiss last year, on Wednesday said it had named Pete Andrews as chief executive officer, effective immediately. Andrews brings 20 years of industry experience to his new role.
Hotchkiss, who remains as an advisor to the company, explained that his decision to step back from daily leadership was a personal choice.
"At the end of the day, I'm a product person, not a sales person. We built a great product, but the building is mostly finished at this point, and we need to pivot from being a product-focused team to being a sales-focused team, and I'm really excited to see how high Reconnect can fly under Pete's leadership," he told Mainebiz by email.
"Personally, I'm going to be taking a little bit of family time and figuring out my next chapter.”
Reconnect’s software and hardware solutions provide court-ordered monitoring for individuals in the criminal justice system. Some are awaiting trial, some are on probation or parole, some are taking part in mandated drug treatment programs. Clients include over 240 courts and corrections systems in 34 states, from California to Maine.
The company generated social media buzz last year over an interview conducted by a Reconnect employee of Rayshard Brooks, a formerly incarcerated Black man who was shot and killed by Atlanta police during a traffic stop. The killing quickly inflamed national furor over allegations of racially charged police brutality.
Hotchkiss launched the company’s predecessor, Call2test, in 2009. With an investor, Ed Larson, he created a tech tool for automated, randomized drug court check-ins. After attracting $3.7 million in new funding last year, the company was reconfigured, rebranded and grew to employ over 30 people.
It now says it offers “a fuller digital toolkit for community supervision.” Some of Reconnect’s systems do away with ankle monitors altogether.
Hotchkiss praised Andrews in a news release.
“Since I first met Pete years ago, I knew that he would be a great fit for Reconnect. His extensive sales experience, mission alignment, and record of positive results made him the ideal candidate to lead Reconnect's next chapter as we expand further into the community supervision space,” Hotchkiss said.
Before joining Reconnect, Andrews held a variety of leadership roles at PAS International, SCRAM Systems and LMG Holdings, and has launched numerous hardware and software supervision tools to government and community markets, according to the release.
Andrews said, “This platform solves real issues and I’m excited to be a part of this company. I see a real opportunity here to impact programs and clients’ lives for the better. I look forward to working with our trusted partners and advancing our technology in the criminal justice space to improve better outcomes for our communities.”
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Love this company and this idea. Wishing them great success. Recovery and reentry from incarceration is so much harder than it should be, and this tool helps.
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