How Corporations Turned Prison Tablets Into a Predatory Scheme

Tablets have become another commodity that predatory corporations use to price gouge incarcerated people. In 2017, JPay distributed free mini-tablets to the prison population in New York, providing access to email, music, e-books, and games at a hefty price. Prison telecommunications companies charge people at every step of the communication process. When Covid-19 first hit, visitation was canceled, and many people’s communications costs grew astronomically.

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Key Findings:

• In New York, incarcerated people need four stamps to send a 30-second video gram to a loved one, and each stamp costs $0.25.
• A single music album can cost up to $46. 
• During the height of the pandemic, one incarcerated person estimated he spent $100 per month on services from their tablet; he previously spent $30 per month before the pandemic.