Many states that permit the use of tablets in their correctional facilities receive financial benefits from telecom companies in the form of revenue-sharing and incentives. For example, the Colorado Department of Corrections receives an annual flat payment of $800,000 from GTL for providing tablets to incarcerated individuals for free. Similarly, Missouri gets a portion of the revenue from entertainment downloads purchased by inmates.
However, the high fees for content downloads, combined with limited income from in-prison jobs, often result in a financial burden for incarcerated individuals and their families. While a tablet can serve as a lifeline for families with loved ones in federal prisons, the associated costs can be significant.
Despite hope from incarcerated individuals and their families that tablets would become available in federal prisons, the introduction of the Keefe Score 7c tablet came with limitations. Initially, the tablets only allowed for music downloads and movie rentals on a pay-per-download basis, with the promise of messaging features for an additional fee.
However, our investigation revealed that none of the federal prisons surveyed allowed messaging or phone calls on the Keefe Score 7c tablets. Many incarcerated individuals expressed disappointment and frustration at not being able to use the promised features, such as messaging and video chat.
It is evident that there is confusion among incarcerated consumers, as Keefe’s advertising suggests that the tablets offer messaging capabilities, but this is not the case in reality. Despite claims of promoting a calmer environment in correctional facilities, the limitations of the tablets have left many feeling misled.
