A new program to provide computer tablets and a set of headphones to inmates will do just that, he said, both for the people behind bars and the ones on the other side.
Both the Erie and Niagara county jails, as well as other counties in the Western New York region, have contracted with companies that specialize in providing free and paid content to inmates.
Each tablet provides free access to instructional and educational videos, religious programming and thousands of e-books in the public domain. Those in custody can also purchase music, movies and games, and send and receive messages, photos and videograms for a fee.
Niagara County has had its tablet system in place since late 2021 and officials there say the program is working well. Erie County just started distributing its first set of specialized tablets to inmates and detainees two weeks ago. They have become instantly popular with inmates and with jail staff who report a reduction in noise and disputes since the tablets have been introduced, administrators said.
Garcia acknowledged some residents may consider it wrong to give criminal offenders tablets that other law-abiding citizens can't access or afford. But ultimately, he said, any device that can educate and improve the behavior of incarcerated people, and reduce the strain on jail staff, is one he will endorse.
"If the inmates are occupied by reading, by bettering their physical and mental health, and they're not fighting with each other or attacking the staff, it's a win-win," he said.
Part of what makes the tablets so attractive to jail management administrators and government leaders is that the tablets don't cost taxpayers anything. In Erie County, Advanced Technologies Group, a division of Keefe Group, agreed to provide the county 250 tablets and wire both the downtown Holding Center and Erie County Correctional Facility in Alden for secured Wi-Fi service free of charge.
Niagara County has a similar arrangement, though Securus agreed to provide enough tablets for every individual in Niagara County, up to the jail's legal capacity.
Both companies profit by taking a cut of what jailed individuals spend through the tablets for entertainment. Garcia said there is no cost to taxpayers.
In Erie County, the 250 tablets mean one tablet has to be shared among every four people in custody. Inmates are limited to one hour of access to free content and up to three hours of paid content. Those in the detox and suicide watch units do not have access to tablets and headsets.
The Sheriff's Office intends to seek authorization from the County Legislature to spend another $85,000, which would come from inmate payments to the jail telephone accounts, to cover the purchase of another 475 tablets so all inmates and detainees can have their own device while they remain in custody. That would end the limitations on time that currently exist because those in custody must share devices.
Niagara County's experience
In Niagara County, officials issued a request for proposals that enabled them to partner with a company that provided enough tablets for all inmates free of charge. Wiring and inmate training in tablet use was also provided for free by Securus.
"There's a lot of things for them to do to keep them busy," said Chief Jail Administrator Anthony Suess. "A busy, incarcerated individual is better for us because it means they're not occupied trying to do something wrong."
One of the most immediate benefits was that fighting over access to the hardwired phone lines in the housing units fell dramatically because each person in custody can use the phone in the tablet. There's also been a reduction in time spent inspecting mail and searching for contraband because all inmates have access to instant messaging and phone calls through their devices.
Just as with jail phones and physical mail, all communication between inmates and family members is reviewed and not considered private. In addition, the devices work on a closed network that does not permit outside internet access.
Niagara County also attached antennas to its housing unit TVs so that anyone who wants to listen to the TV can dial into a localized radio channel. Otherwise, the televisions are muted so that those in the common area don't have to raise their voices to be heard or have arguments over TV volume. The result is that housing units are quieter.
"The officers definitely appreciate that," Suess said.
All the Niagara County tablets also offer unrestricted access to the law library, another benefit that has been requested by Erie County inmates and detainees.
Given the new state restrictions on inmate discipline and solitary confinement, the tablets offer a new way for jail staff to discourage bad behavior. In Erie County, those who cause trouble and break rules temporarily lose access to their tablets. In Niagara County, bad behavior results in entertainment features on the tablet being turned off.
That's proven very effective, Suess said.
"If an inmate gets disciplined, they want to have their hearing resolved as quick as they can so they can have their restrictions lifted," he said.
The reviews are in
When a Buffalo News reporter went to speak with Holding Center detainees to get a tour of tablet features and gather impressions from users, many of whom were in custody for addiction- and probation-related crimes, it wasn't long before nearly everyone in the housing unit began gathering around. They tossed out suggestions and complaints in rapid order.
"It's definitely better than what we had," said Gary Purpora.
Abdiel Lopez said he has used the tablets to watch free videos about job interviewing, how to change a flat tire, even how to bag groceries.
Lamar Rivera said he has found the math tutorials to be worthwhile.
On the paid side, several praised the large music library and "moderately current" selection of movies.
But many of the users complained about the cost of using the devices to access entertainment. They also referred to tensions between those who have a lot of money in their inmate accounts, thanks to support from family members, and those in jail with no money at all.
"It's expensive," said John Hageman. "It's so expensive."
It costs $3 for every hour of access to paid entertainment programming. That means that if a user wants to watch a movie that may be only slightly more than two hours long, he or she must pay $9 for three hours of time because the time is charged in blocks.
That's different than the tablet systems in other counties, including Niagara County, that charges a set fee per item rented or downloaded. Another inmate said that in Allegany County, inmates were charged a few cents per minute of use, not $3 per hour — though unused paid time can be paused and banked.
Some also pointed out that even looking at a list of available music and movies uses up paid time. Many of these complaints should be alleviated when each inmate receives his or her own device to keep and time restrictions are lifted, said Thomas Diina, former jails superintendent and current chief of community integration. He also said he expects some of the additional Niagara County tablet features to be adopted by Erie County, as well as more local programming.
"Our intent is to get feedback from the incarcerated, feedback from the staff, find out what's working, what's not working and use that to refine the program," he said.
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