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Update on Securus iPads contract and available content for incarcerated individuals
2:57:45
ยท
176 sec
Council Member Gale Brewer requests an update on the Securus iPads contract and the content available on the tablets. Deputy Commissioner Nell McCarty provides detailed information about the various applications and services offered.
- The current Securus contract expires in December 2024
- There is an active RFP out for the tablets
- Over 25 free applications are available on the tablets, including:
- LexisNexis for law library research
- Phone capabilities
- FM radio and over 500 podcasts
- 50,000 e-books in English and Spanish
- Educational and motivational content
- Edovo with over 25,000 courses offering certificates
- Essential Education for tracked educational modules
- Premium content includes movies and additional games for purchase
- 86% of the incarcerated population has access to or has been assigned a tablet
- Individuals in new admission housing or in custody for less than 30 days do not have immediate access to tablets
Gale Brewer
2:57:45
Okay.
2:57:46
I don't know what else to say.
2:57:47
I do think oh, let's keep talking about it.
2:57:49
Finally, the Securus iPads contract.
2:57:52
Can you update that?
2:57:54
I know that there's been some discussion about what is or is not available on the iPads.
2:57:58
Can you give me any update on that?
2:58:00
That's my last question.
2:58:01
Thank you very much, madam chair.
2:58:03
Yeah.
James Conroy
2:58:06
I'm sorry, council member.
2:58:07
Is the the question specifically towards what's available on the iPads?
Gale Brewer
2:58:10
Yeah.
2:58:11
And also the budget for it.
2:58:12
You know, there's been a lot of controversy about it, as you know.
James Conroy
2:58:14
I'll I'll turn it over for the content, I'll turn it over to my colleague, DC McCarty.
Gale Brewer
2:58:18
Okay.
Nell McCarty
2:58:21
Oh, I need to be sworn in.
UNKNOWN
2:58:30
Do you affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth before this committee and to respond honestly to council member questions?
Nell McCarty
2:58:37
I do.
2:58:38
Thank you.
2:58:39
Thank you.
2:58:40
So my name is Nell McCarty.
2:58:41
I'm the deputy commissioner for the Division of Programs and Community Partnerships.
2:58:45
And so we are with our current Securus well, first I should start by saying there is an active RFP out for the tablets.
Gale Brewer
2:58:54
So when is the Securus contract
Nell McCarty
2:58:56
up?
Gale Brewer
2:58:58
The twenty December of the Yep.
2:58:59
Thank you.
2:58:59
Okay, go ahead.
Nell McCarty
2:59:00
So with that, on the current Securus contract or on the current Securus tablet, we have over 25 free applications available for people to be able to utilize.
2:59:12
This includes LexisNexis, which is available for persons in custody to conduct law library research from their tablets.
2:59:18
It includes phone capabilities for someone to conduct a phone call, the FM radio station and over 500 podcasts, 50,000 different e books in both English and Spanish.
2:59:30
There's different applications, one of them such as the Tyro application which provides access to videos and documents about improving family relationships, motivational content, reentry, life skills, time management.
2:59:42
There's a documentary on it called Chasing Dragon focusing on the dangers of opioid addiction and the opioid epidemic.
2:59:51
Hope Media includes podcasts and content on reentry, self discovery and mental health wellness.
2:59:57
We recently added Edovo, which has over 25,000 different courses that people can take that they can earn certificates.
3:00:05
This again cycling from soft skills or life skills to more of like work related certificates.
3:00:13
We also uploaded essential education which allows for people to engage in different educational modules that can also be tracked by the Department of Education and the Department of Correction.
3:00:23
And so again, there are a variety of different free applications.
3:00:26
On these tablets there are premium content as well, which would include movies and additional games for purchase.
3:00:33
Although I do want to highlight again that there are access to different interactive videos for free as well as games for free as well.
3:00:40
Okay.
Gale Brewer
3:00:41
So two questions.