Alleged inmate tablet fraud sparks White House investigation
House Oversight Chairman James Comer targeted California’s 190 million tablet program, citing potential abuse and fraud in ‘America Reports,’ as Vice President JD Vance heads the White House’s anti-fraud task force.
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Federal inmates are set to receive their pills to use to improve their education and work, according to the Bureau of Prisons (BOP).
On Wednesday, the BOP announced that it has awarded a contract for tablet equipment that will “dramatically improve the agency’s approach to communications, education, rehabilitation and day-to-day operations at all of its facilities across the country.”
The BOP also said inmates will be given access to secure messaging and video services to help them “maintain healthy relationships with loved ones, an important factor proven to reduce recidivism.”
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Inmate David Class poses for a photo with a program and educational tablet provided by the Department of Corrections at a Massachusetts correctional facility. (Craig F. Walker/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
According to the announcement, the pills will be made available to all inmates in BOP custody. There are more than 138,000 inmates in correctional facilities.
“Our priority is the safety of our employees and the safety of our facilities,” said BOP Director William K. Marshall III. “This contract modernizes outdated operations, reduces administrative burdens, and allows workers to focus on the important work of maintaining safe spaces while increasing opportunities for successful rehabilitation and re-entry.”
Officials said the tablets will help inmates with literacy support, evidence-based rehabilitation programs, faith-based resources, health information and job preparation content.
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Inmates Christopher Merced, left, and David Class demonstrate different uses of an educational program and tablet provided by the Department of Corrections at a Massachusetts correctional facility. (Craig F. Walker/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
Tablets will also reduce the administrative burden on employees by moving paper-based tasks, such as commissary ordering and program registration, into a digital environment.
The BOP emphasized that the devices will be rolled out in phases across its vast network of prisons, with each implementation guided by “strict security protocols and oversight.”
The timeline for the release is unclear. Fox News has reached out to BOP for further comment.
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Almost every state prison system now has some type of tablet system, although the scope, vendor, features, and release model vary widely. In 2019, only a few states had pills in prisons, according to law360.
This stock photo shows the interior of a cell block and general area in a county jail. (Stock)
Oregon is the latest state to begin implementing a model where each inmate gets their own tablet.
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In April, the state Department of Corrections said one of the main reasons for doing this was to reduce drugs smuggled into prisons through the mail.
Once the system is fully operational, officers will scan an inmate’s email and send it through their tablet, cutting off any ability for them to receive illegal packages while incarcerated, the Oregon DOC said in June.
