Massachusetts touts widespread use of prison computer tablet program

Massachusetts correction officials say state prisoners use computer tablets more than those incarcerated in any other state.

The tablets used in state prisons are made by the company Orijin, which said that Massachusetts is the only state that provides tablets to every incarcerated person. The company found that people in Massachusetts prisons used the tablets for programming more than those incarcerated in any other state.

Orijin officials said that last year, those incarcerated in Massachusetts used their tablets for more than 446,000 hours, a 20% increase from the year before. They said that while individuals can use tablets for emails and phone calls, the hours calculated were just for educational and vocational programming.

"Massachusetts decided to invest in programming for everyone and that is unusual in corrections," said Orijin co-founder Arti Fenn. "In most states only 17% of those incarcerated are using our tablets."

Massachusetts Department of Correction Commissioner Shawn Jenkins said the tablets provide online courses and vocational certificates, resume building, job training, reentry preparation and access to medical information. The tablets use a secure prison server, so some internet use is restricted.

The department pointed to a report issued last year that showed a drop in the rate people re-offended if they had participated in some form of rehabilitative programming while in prison. Because most of the roughly 6,000 people incarcerated in the state will be released, Jenkins said the tablets allow prisoners to gain some technology skills.

"It's about reentry and it's about making sure people have good job skills and all of that stuff, but it's also a technology, right?" Jenkins said in an interview. "We have individuals in our care who may not have had access to technology for years."

The initial startup cost for the tablet program, which began in 2022, was $7.6 million. The state expects to spend $6.3 million this year in license/content renewal, internet services and support.

Orijin provides tablets to correction systems in 21 states.