YORKVILLE, Illinois (July 9, 2019) – The Kendall County Sheriff’s Office announces the launch of a program to help incarcerated individuals become successful now and in the future. Securus Technologies is providing the SecureView® Tablet at no cost to taxpayers or inmates. The Sheriff’s Office commissary program is funding this technology which features applications such as the phone, education, mental health, law library and job search. The Sheriff’s Office wanted to provide productive activities for the inmates that would keep them focused on positive goals as opposed to having them not be engaged and feeling negative about being in jail.
Additionally, the Sheriff feels hopeful that the Tablet program will help improve the facility in the following ways such as:
- A decrease in violence and tension
- Less disruption means decreased risk for deputies and the incarcerated
- Constructive activity can help expedite reentry
“The tablets will allow inmates in Kendall County to begin planning for re-integration into society by searching for jobs and accessing mental health information. Another benefit is that the tablets encourage good behavior,” said Sheriff Dwight Baird. The Sheriff’s Office chose the Securus Technologies SecureView® Tablet because of its features which allow inmates to work on personal rehabilitation while serving their sentences. However, what this technology does not include is also important to this facility.
Risk is decreased since the tablets do not offer access to:
- Internet
- Social media
- Camera
- Video recordings
“Our efforts aim to have a positive effect and create a safer environment for our deputies, staff and inmates,” Sheriff Baird added. Another feature favored by the Sheriff is that all content is approved by the facility to include entertainment options such as podcasts, music and games. The tablets are considered a privilege for inmates. The Sheriff feels hopeful this program will reduce recidivism rates by allowing inmates to improve themselves as they get ready for their release. The tablets provide opportunities for inmates to stay connected to their family, friends and the outside world as well as prepare for reentry into the community. Studies show a link between inmates maintaining relationships with their loved ones, while incarcerated, reduces recidivism. “Access to this new technology will help inmates rehabilitate themselves by giving them tools to advance their education, connect with family and prepare them for life in the tech-saturated world upon their release,” Sheriff Baird concluded.
About Securus Technologies
Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, and serving more than 3,450 public safety, law enforcement and corrections agencies and over 1,200,000 inmates across North America, Securus Technologies is committed to serve and connect by providing emergency response, incident management, public information, investigation, biometric analysis, communication, information management, inmate self-service, and monitoring products and services in order to make our world a safer place to live. Securus Technologies connecting what matters®.
For more information, please visit SecurusTechnologies.tech.
