Yes, prisoners do get tablets, and in most of the country it is now the norm rather than the exception. By late 2024, at least 48 states had implemented or begun rolling out tablet programs in their correctional facilities.1 The devices run on locked-down internal networks with no open internet, and while the hardware itself is usually handed out at no upfront cost, nearly every useful feature carries a fee paid by the incarcerated person or their family.
One notable gap sits at the federal level. As of early 2026, the Federal Bureau of Prisons is still in the procurement phase for a tablet program covering roughly 150,000 federal inmates, with a formal solicitation deadline of March 2026. Federal facilities have not yet distributed tablets system-wide.
How an Inmate Gets a Tablet
In most facilities, each incarcerated person receives a tablet at no upfront cost. The provider recovers its investment through the fees charged for messaging, calls, music, and other paid content. Some facilities instead sell or lease tablets through the commissary. Either way, each device is individually assigned and tied to the user through a personal identification number.
Paid services run through a linked account. Family members or friends deposit money, and the incarcerated person draws on that balance. Under federal regulations, providers cannot impose a minimum balance requirement for prepaid calling accounts, and they must allow deposits of at least $50 per transaction.
What the Device Actually Is
A prison tablet is not a consumer iPad. It is a purpose-built device with security built into the hardware. A typical unit is roughly eight inches by five inches, weighs just over a pound, and comes in a translucent plastic shell so nothing can be hidden inside the casing. Screens use impact-resistant security glass. Charging happens through pogo-pin connectors instead of standard USB ports, which eliminates cords that could be turned into weapons or ligatures.
Charging stations are mounted on walls throughout housing units, usually in two- or four-slot configurations that lock the tablet in place while it powers up. These stations use low-voltage Power over Ethernet rather than standard electrical wiring. Inmates dock and retrieve their tablets during set charging periods without needing staff to intervene.
Every tablet runs on a closed network. There is no web browser, no app store, no email to outside addresses. All content is either pre-loaded or delivered through the facility’s internal Wi-Fi.
What Inmates Can Do on Them
Messaging, Calls, and Video Visits
Secure messaging is the most heavily used feature. Incarcerated people send text-based messages to contacts on an approved list, and some systems allow photo or greeting-card attachments for an added fee. Audio and video calls also run through the tablet, and often provide more privacy than wall-mounted phones in common areas. Everything is monitored and recorded.
Education and Legal Research
Educational programming is a major feature of these devices. Inmates can access high school equivalency test preparation, vocational training, Khan Academy materials, and digital libraries of e-books. Some facilities also provide access to legal research databases like LexisNexis, allowing incarcerated people to research case law and draft documents from their housing unit instead of waiting for limited law-library hours.
Entertainment
Tablets offer streaming music, movies, TV shows, games, podcasts, news feeds, and FM radio. Most of it requires a paid subscription or an individual purchase. Free content is usually limited to religious texts, educational material, and basic legal resources.
Grievances and Requests
A growing number of facilities use tablets for administrative functions like filing grievances, requesting housing changes, or submitting maintenance tickets. Several state systems have piloted electronic grievance filing, though many facilities still rely on paper forms for formal complaints and medical sick-call requests.
What It Costs the Family
The tablet itself may be free. Using it is not.
Sending a single electronic message typically costs between $0.25 and $0.50, depending on the facility and provider. Messages are often sold in bundles of digital “stamps,” and buying in smaller quantities pushes the per-message price higher. Attaching a photo or greeting card costs extra. Daily exchanges can add up to $15 or more per month on messaging alone.
Audio and video calls are billed by the minute, and this is one area where costs have come down. Under the FCC’s 2025 IPCS Order, which takes effect April 6, 2026, per-minute rates from prisons cannot exceed $0.11 for audio calls or $0.25 for video calls. Jail rates vary by facility size but follow the same structure, running from $0.10 to $0.19 per minute for audio and $0.19 to $0.44 for video. These caps apply to interstate, intrastate, and international calls.
Entertainment subscriptions run a few dollars each. One large state system publishes rates of $5.49 per month for music streaming, $1.99 per month for movies and TV, $5.49 per month for internet radio, and $0.99 for individual game purchases. Numbers vary by facility and provider, but the pattern of monthly subscriptions plus à la carte purchases is standard.
Families used to face steep fees just to add money to an inmate’s account. The FCC’s 2024 IPCS Order prohibited those ancillary service charges, which included deposit fees, automated payment fees, and account maintenance charges layered on top of communication costs. Providers now have to build those costs into their per-minute rates rather than tacking them on as separate line items. One remaining gap: the FCC rate caps cover audio and video calls but do not currently regulate messaging fees, which are still set by contracts between providers and individual facilities.
Getting on the Approved Contact List
Before any communication can happen, the outside contact has to be on the incarcerated person’s approved list. Family members and friends set up an account with the provider, often through a portal like GettingOut.com or ConnectNetwork, and link a payment method.
The approval process varies by facility but generally involves submitting a formal application, providing a valid photo ID, and passing a background check. Contacts with active warrants are typically denied. Background checks are repeated periodically, and contacts who go inactive for a year may need to reapply. The process can take days to weeks, so it is worth starting early.
Monitoring and Losing Access
Every message, call, and video visit sent or received through a prison tablet is monitored, recorded, and stored. Incarcerated people are informed of this, and it is a condition of using the device. Provider databases hold a searchable record of every message, phone call, video visit, content purchase, and pattern of device usage. Corrections staff can review any of it at any time.
Physical security is equally strict. Each tablet is linked to one person; using another inmate’s device or sharing PINs is a disciplinary offense. Tablets are usually enabled only during set hours, often 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., and disabled overnight and during counts. Cameras and other features that could be used for unauthorized recording are turned off. Intentionally damaging a device triggers disciplinary action, restitution charges, and loss of tablet privileges.
Tablet access is a privilege, not a right. A warden can suspend or confiscate a device at any time for misconduct, misuse, or security concerns. Outside contacts can also have their accounts suspended if their activity is treated as a threat to facility operations.
What Happens on Transfer or Release
This part catches families off guard. When an incarcerated person transfers to a different facility, particularly one served by a different provider, purchased content such as music, e-books, and game downloads may not transfer with them. The same problem arises when a facility switches providers. Many contracts are silent on the issue.
On release, any remaining account balance is supposed to be returned, and states generally require that unused funds in inactive accounts be turned over to the state’s unclaimed property program. Purchased digital content itself is typically licensed, not owned, and it disappears when the account closes. If a loved one has a release date approaching, check the balance beforehand and request a refund of any unused funds rather than leaving money to sit in an account that will eventually go dormant.