What It Takes to Bring Enterprise Technology Into Correctional Facilities
Published:
Excerpt from GeekWire, published April 17, 2026
By Melanie Sankaran & Kevin Elder
Over the past decade, connected technology has redefined how essential systems operate. Mobile banking replaced branch visits. Telehealth reduced the need for in-person care. Work became untethered from a fixed location. The pattern is clear: when secure, connected technology is placed directly in people’s hands, even longstanding systems become more efficient, accessible, and effective.
Nearly two million people are housed in U.S. correctional facilities, where administrators manage a uniquely demanding environment balancing staffing shortages, safety requirements, aging infrastructure, and a growing need for rehabilitative programming. For correctional leaders, the question isn’t whether technology belongs, but how to implement it responsibly by deploying solutions that are secure, durable, and purpose-built to improve outcomes while preserving the balance facilities work every day to maintain.