Fresno County Jail inmates using computers? It might seem risky, but it’s the right idea
Fresno County Jail has had its share of controversies over its treatment of inmates. But recently Sheriff Margaret Mims announced a development that is nothing but positive and represents an improvement for inmates.
Tablet computers are now being made available to inmates in isolation and solitary confinement cells. The intent of the five-year, $500,000 program is twofold: To reduce the depression and mental challenges inherent with isolated confinement, and to help inmates gain education and therapy in self-paced programs not before available.
The program launched last fall, and Mims already sees benefits. “In just the short time we have issued the tablets, we have noticed an improvement in inmate behavior, which makes the jail a better environment for both the inmate as well as correctional staff,” she said.
Tablet computers are increasingly being used in jails throughout the state. In addition to Fresno, tablets are also being used by inmates in Madera, Santa Clara, Alameda, Sonoma, El Dorado, Mendocino, Sacramento and Yolo counties.
How it works
The computers are made by Samsung and are placed in tamper-resistant cases. The tablets cannot connect to the internet, so there is no chance an inmate can search online for a pornography website, for example. Nor can inmates access the device’s camera.
The tablets are loaded with 10,000 hours of academic, vocational and cognitive behavioral therapy courses. Inmates can earn general equivalency degrees (akin to a high school diploma), improve literacy, research careers, and learn more about topics like parenting and religion.
Once an inmate completes a task, points are earned as a reward. Inmates with enough points can watch a movie, or make electronic purchases at the jail commissary.
The Edovo tablets also log hours of use, most popular courses taken and total courses completed. The data will help jail staff refine the programming.
Court orders
Overcrowding has long been a challenge in the Fresno County Jail. In 1993, lawyers representing some inmates sued the county over conditions they said amounted to cruel and unusual punishment. The result was a federal “consent decree” capping the jail’s population.
Today the daily population hovers around 3,000 inmates, making Fresno County the seventh-largest jail in the state.
In 2015, the Prison Law Office in Berkeley reached a consent decree with Fresno County over medical and mental health services not being properly provided to inmates. The decree required hiring more corrections staff and making sure services were available and medical needs were met. The tablet computers are part of the jail’s improved services.
Tony Botti, public information officer for the sheriff, filmed a video with an inmate who has used a tablet. On the video the inmate talks about earning over 3,000 points, which reflects high use.
“Anything that helps educate a closed mind can be of benefit to the public,” the unidentified inmate says. “You still have to have a life, even if you are incarcerated.”
After further evaluation of the tablets, Mims said she may expand their use beyond inmates in solitary cells. That would be a welcome move, and in keeping with California’s new push to help jail inmates get skills so they can return to society and contribute in positive ways.