California Inmates Use 90,000 State-Funded Tablets for Pornography as Contract Could Reach $315 Million
Updated
Updated · Fox News · May 13
California Inmates Use 90,000 State-Funded Tablets for Pornography as Contract Could Reach $315 Million
4 articles · Updated · Fox News · May 13
Death row inmates in California are allegedly using prison-issued tablets to watch pornography, receive nude images and conduct sexually explicit chats, according to interviews published by The California Post.
Around 90,000 tablets were distributed under a program meant to connect inmates with family and provide education, but prisoners told the paper they can bypass controls through messaging and video calls.
One cited case involved Nathaniel Ray Diaz, a convicted child sex offender, who authorities said made thousands of calls from prison and sought explicit images from a girl he was accused of abusing.
CDCR defended the devices as tightly controlled educational tools that offer Bible, education and reentry resources, while former parole official Douglas Eckenrod warned they created a pathway for inmates to groom victims.
The scrutiny lands as California expands its Norway-inspired rehabilitation model and has signed a Securus contract worth $189 million over six years, with extensions that could raise the total to $315 million.
With millions spent on inmate tablets now linked to misuse, is California's rehabilitation model creating new victims instead of reformed citizens?
Are private tech companies exploiting a captive market, turning California's prison reform efforts into a for-profit surveillance enterprise?