News Release

ELKHART — Today, Wednesday, Oct. 27, the Elkhart County Sheriff’s Office announced the corrections industry’s newest tablets — the JP6S devices — will soon be available to incarcerated individuals at Elkhart County Correctional Complex. The tablet program, which is scheduled for deployment on Nov. 11, is made possible through a partnership with Securus Technologies, creating the opportunity for individuals to access free re-entry and educational offerings, as well as premium media and communication services.

The JP6S tablets will allow incarcerated individuals to securely connect with loved ones to facilitate more meaningful and frequent communication. Users can also access a range of free applications focused on re-entry and education, including eBooks, the job search application JobView, educational platform KA Lite, Law Library and more. Incarcerated individuals also have the option to subscribe to a low-cost monthly account through the SecureView MakeMine program, which allows them to correspond with loved ones through e-messaging and place phone calls on the tablet, as well as access premium media offerings such as movies, games and music.

“If we are going to meaningfully address recidivism rates, then we need to get serious about providing state-of-the-art technology to the incarcerated community,” said Sheriff Jeff Siegel. “That is exactly what we are doing with our new partnership with Securus to introduce tablets, which will help modernize corrections in Elkhart County and deliver results of which our entire community can be proud.

The tablets are uniquely designed for the correctional environment and are equipped with shatterproof glass, security screws and a double shield casing to prevent misuse. Additionally, the operating system is built to function through a closed infrastructure, meaning that incarcerated individuals can only connect to a secure and private network that only allows access to functions approved by the facility. The tablets do not allow access to the internet or social networks.

“While tablet technology is ubiquitous in modern life, its game-changing communications, educational, and rehabilitative potential remains out of reach for far too many incarcerated Americans,” said Nancy Salisbury, vice president of sales for Securus Technologies. “We applaud Elkhart County for taking such an important step forward and providing its incarcerated community with new tools to stay connected with loved ones and continue their rehabilitation so that they can have a successful second chance when they rejoin their communities.”

Each JP6S tablet has a seven-inch touchscreen with earbud headphones. The tablets provide up to 32GB of storage with a 13-hour battery life that can play up to 40 music hours and comes equipped with a 1280 x 800 screen. The technology monitors communications in real time and alerts correctional staff about potential attempts at misuse – a standard practice shared by all correctional facilities to improve overall security.