After tablet hack – or glitch? – many rooting for inmates

Officials say it was an “intentional exploitation,” while some inmates’ families described it more as a “glitch.” Either way, reports that 364 Idaho inmates had a quarter million dollars improperly applied to their JPay tablet accounts had most of social media rooting for the prisoners, the Associated Press reports.

The hand-held computer tablets are popular in prisons across the country, and they are made available to Idaho inmates through a contract with CenturyLink and JPay. The tablets allow inmates to email their families and friends, purchase and listen to music or play simple electronic games.

Those services come at a steep cost for inmates and their loved ones: Sending a one-page email from an Idaho prison costs about 50 cents, and JPay is the only email provider available to Idaho inmates.

Peter Wagner with the inmate advocacy group Prison Policy Institute said those prices likely contributed to the Robin Hood-like response to the story, noting that some Idaho inmates would have to work five hours at their 10-cent-an-hour prison jobs to send just one email.

JPay did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

You can view the previous story HERE.