The Burlington County Board of Freeholders hasn't given the green light to the idea yet, but officials have approved exploring it and seeking proposals from tablet service providers. The board voted unanimously Wednesday to issue a formal request for proposals.
The RFP is not expected to be published until Sept. 17, but county spokesman Nicholas Gangemi said it would ask for proposals from tablet service providers to help the board determine if it would be viable and advantageous for the county jail.
The tablets that would go to inmates at BCJ are unlikely to be the same Apple iPads or Microsoft Surface Pros found in scores of homes and businesses.
Rather than offering unlimited internet access, any tablets given to inmates are likely to be specially designed for security and offer a restricted menu of job training and education programs. And while the devices could permit inmates to send email messages or communicate with friends or loved ones via video calls, whatever messages they try to send would likely be limited in size and screened for security purposes.
Tablets might also allow inmates access to music, games and other entertainment, though such services can also be restricted and are unlikely to be free.
It may seem cutting edge to some, but it's becoming increasingly commonplace in prisons and jails. In fact, the New Jersey Department of Corrections already distributes similar tablets to inmates in most of its state prisons, as do the corrections departments in New York, Colorado and Virginia.
Gangemi said the county is still just exploring the idea and has made no commitment to purchase or contract with any providers.
"The RFP has no cost to the taxpayers, and has no commitment for purchase. Tablet services would be provided as an additional service to inmates, direct from the service provider," he said, adding that the devices could be used for "job training programs, access (to) the law library at no cost, drug and alcohol education programs."
Since no decision has been made about the program, county officials could not specify if inmates would receive access to services such as email or video calls or to download videos, music or games or if inmates would be allowed to keep the devices in their cells.
Typically the communications, education and entertainment services are offered by providers who contract with prisons and corrections facilities, though often the inmates or their friends and family must pay fees for some of the services.
Global Tel Link, a tablet provider based in Virginia, markets its tablet services as a way to "calm the corrections environment" by providing inmates with "higher educational opportunities and communication with loved ones," which it says helps reduce recidivism. The company also said the tablets can improve efficiency for corrections employees by allowing inmates to submit requests and file grievances electronically rather than with paper forms.
Global Tel Link provides payphone service for inmates at Burlington County Jail, as well as video visitation services at jails in Camden and Cumberland counties.
But there has been criticism about the technology as well, mostly surrounding the fees that providers charge inmates for the services or that it's being used to replace in-person visits for prisoners and paper books and libraries.
A 2018 report from the Prison Policy Initiative was critical of the fees charged to inmates and their families for electronic messages, saying they have seen prices range from 5 cents to as much as $1.25 per message.
JPay, a Florida-based provider that supplies tablets for inmates in New Jersey's state prisons, charges $2 for five electronic "stamps." Every page of text emailed to or from a prisoner costs one stamp. Prisoners must also pay special rates to download music, audio books and other entertainment, according to the company's website.
The same report also found that the inmate fees for music and media was typically above market rate. However, some providers do provide educational programs to inmates free of charge.
Gangemi reiterated that no decision has been made about obtaining tablets. However, he said if the county does launch a program with the devices, it would not be to reduce other services.
"We are only attempting to go out to the market to determine the viability, features and advantages of a program," he said. "Any tablet program, if approved, would not result in a reduction in other services, but instead be provided as an additional opportunity for our inmates to access information and services."
©2019 Burlington County Times, Willingboro, N.J. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
