Six months ago, the Cheshire County (NH) Correctional Facility partnered with Securus Technologies as the exclusive provider of corrections-grade tablets, providing incarcerated individuals with access to communications and media services, as well as no-cost reentry and education resources. The county’s Sergeant, Alfred Beyer, reported resounding success of the program, acknowledging improved morale, a reduction in infractions and an amplified sense of hope within the facility. The SecureView tablets were adopted by Cheshire County to demonstrate the county’s commitment to making a positive impact on the daily lives of their incarcerated population and provide the tools and resources needed for them to prepare for a successful reentry back into society.
“In the six months since implementing the Securus tablets, our correctional facility has seen tremendous improvements in safety, attitude, and behavior among our population, resulting in a significant reduction in minor offenses, and an overall improvement of everyday life,” said Sgt. Beyer. “The connection to the outside world that this technology offers is giving incarcerated individuals a sense of hope and optimism, showing them that once released they have the ability to return to a normal life.”
The SecureView tablet can be rented by incarcerated individuals for a $5.00 monthly subscription fee through the MakeMine program. Once enrolled, individuals can use any available tablet and simply log into their pre-registered account to access a variety of approved applications, which are customized to their specific account. For a fee, incarcerated individuals can purchase media such as music, games and movies, as well as use the device for communication. Sending and receiving emails and placing calls on the device enable ongoing engagement and reduce lines at kiosks and static wall phones.
“Already, we’re seeing less violence, more productivity and a calmer environment on the part of our incarcerated population and we credit those improvements to the power of technology,” continued Sgt. Beyer.
The SecureView tablets also provide no-cost education and re-entry-focused resources, including KA Lite education videos and JobView, a digital job search tool. They also offer access to free eBooks and critical mental health and self-help videos to help battle this growing crisis within prisons.
The SecureView tablets were deployed in Cheshire County in November 2019 and since the launch, 3,264 job searches have been conducted and incarcerated individuals have viewed 419 videos and 617 documents that cover topics that benefit reentry and maintaining critical family ties.
“As we continue to see our footprint grow and receive positive feedback from incarcerated individuals who are finding success with the SecureView tablets, it’s imperative that we replicate this partnership in correctional facilities across the nation,” said Securus Technologies President and CEO, Dave Abel. “This shows the promise of technology and the importance of access to digital resources for a population that is often underserved in this area. By successfully preparing them for re-entry, we can help further reduce recidivism rates and help shed the stigma associated with incarceration.”
Access to this type of technology becomes critical during the current COVID-19 epidemic, which has caused the facility to make the difficult decision to suspend in-person visitation out of concern for the safety and well-being of their employees and the incarcerated population. To ensure access to much-needed communication, Securus is providing one free video visit for each incarcerated individual per week during this wide-spread health crisis.
Cheshire County houses an estimated 100 incarcerated individuals. The communication technology is monitored for safety reasons, a standard practice shared by all correctional facilities.
SOURCE Cheshire County Department of Corrections