Allegheny County Jail has distributed new tablets to its inmates, marking the final stage of a communication contract with GTL/ViaPath.
The tablet distribution and associated services are provided without cost to Allegheny County taxpayers. Under the agreement, all residents receive 30 minutes of free phone calls per day alongside reduced fees for additional telephone use and video visitation.
Phone call rates beyond the daily 30 free minutes have dropped from $0.16 per minute to $0.035 per minute, while video visitation fees have been lowered from $0.25 per minute to $0.07 per minute.
Additionally, replacement costs for damaged or lost tablets were reduced from $350 to $255.
“Because we know that it is important for individuals who are incarcerated to maintain contact with their loved ones, we prioritized affordable communication by significantly reducing fees and incorporating more free minutes per person per day,” Interim Warden Connie Clark said.
ACJ initially began offering free daily phone calls during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2022 to expand communication access and educational opportunities for residents.
Under the current program, residents receive free access to books, health and wellness materials, educational software and a legal library.
Paid features available on the devices include text messaging, games, news, movie and music streaming services, video visitation and extra telephone minutes.
The county’s contract with GTL/ViaPath runs through March 2029.
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