BOP Awards Tablet Contract for 138,000 Inmates as Comer Targets California's $190 Million Program
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Jul 9
BOP Awards Tablet Contract for 138,000 Inmates as Comer Targets California's $190 Million Program
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jul 9
Summary
Federal prisons will phase in tablets for more than 138,000 inmates under a new Bureau of Prisons contract covering facilities nationwide.
The devices will offer secure messaging, video calls, education, literacy, health and job-prep content, which the agency says can support rehabilitation and reduce recidivism.
BOP Director William K. Marshall III said the rollout will also shift paper-heavy tasks such as commissary orders and program registration onto a digital platform, easing staff workload under strict security oversight.
The move lands as House Oversight Chairman James Comer criticizes California's $190 million prison tablet program over alleged misuse, highlighting scrutiny around inmate technology even as adoption spreads.
Tablet programs now exist in nearly every state prison system; Oregon recently cited contraband control as a key benefit by digitizing inmate mail delivery.