State & Local Government Policy, Business and Technology

Why every Indiana inmate could soon have a tablet

USA Today: INDIANAPOLIS — A plan to put a tablet in every Indiana inmate's hands could help offenders stay connected with their families and improve their education, which are important ways to keep them from returning to prison.

But the plan is also raising questions about fairness.

Could a technology company providing specialized tablets made for prison environments take advantage of captive buyers to price gouge on purchases for games, movies and music?

Those are some of the benefits and possible pitfalls of an Indiana Department of Correction technology proposal filed in January. The proposal also calls for a secure network and electronic kiosks across the prison system's 23 facilities.

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