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Question and Answer Tracking Details

173 - Corrections - USE OF TABLETS IN PRISONS

Higginson, Sue to the Minister for Finance, and Minister for Natural Resources representing the Minister for Better Regulation and Fair Trading, Minister for Industry and Trade, Minister for Innovation, Science and Technology, Minister for Building, and Minister for Corrections
USE OF TABLETS IN PRISONS

(1) With respect to tablet computers in New South Wales prisons:

(a) What is their use?

(b) Do all inmates in all correctional centres have access to tablet computers?

(i) If no, who does have access and who does not?

(c) How many hours per week do inmates have access to educational material on the tablet computers?

(d) What are the educational materials provided?

(e) Is there any reporting on the use of tablet computers?

(i) If yes, what reporting is carried out and where is it stored?

(f) Have there been any complaints made about the use of tablets?

(i) If yes, how many?

(2) With respect to the use of tablet computers for video and audio calling:

(a) Are tablet computers able to be used for video and audio calling?

(i) If yes, what is the standard rate applied for inmates to use the device for such purposes?

(ii) If yes, is the call made via wifi or via a telecommunications network?

(b) If it is made via a telecommunications network, who is the provider for this service?

(c) If there is a telecommunications provider, how much profit does the provider generate through provision of this service?

(d) Who is responsible for the service, maintenance and replacement of these tablets?

(3) With respect to the antivirus and security services installed on the tablet computers:

(a) What antivirus and security services are installed?

(b) Who is the provider of these services?

(c) What is the annual cost of these services?

(d) Who pays for these services?
Answer -

I am advised by Minister for Better Regulation and Innovation, Minister for Industry and Trade, Minister for Innovation, Science and Technology, Minister for Building and Minister for Corrections that:

(1) 

(a) Providing access for prisoners to digital technologies is intended to enhance rehabilitation outcomes, to normalise use of technology, to allow connection to culture and community, to promote autonomy and to improve digital literacy.

Corrective Services NSW (CSNSW) has introduced two different tablet solutions. Video visits are free of charge to prisoners and their families. These tablets are used exclusively for video conferencing and this activity occurs under supervision.

The Offender Tablets are for in-cell use and have a greater range of functionality that includes:

  • communication with approved family, friends and legal practitioners using the Offender Telephone System (OTS);
  • access to Library Services and other informational materials;
  • self-service kiosk enquiries that increase inmates' visibility of their own personal information including account balances, program schedules and court appearances;
  • paid entertainment content such as movies, music, ebooks and games. Free games are also provided; and
  • a new Learning Management System will be trialed at two correctional centres from August 2023. The system will provide a platform for delivering interactive educational and behaviour change content to inmates.

(b) Tablets for virtual visits are available to prisoners across NSW and are used in tandem with fixed video conferencing facilities.

Approximately 8,000 inmates currently have access to Offender In-cell Tablets across 26 correctional centres.

(i)  CSNSW is continuing the state-wide roll outof offender tablets. By end of 2023 there will be over 10,000 offender tablets at majority of NSW correctional centres.

Two correctional centres employ alternative technologies (IPTV) that are installed in accommodation units that have similar functionality to the tablets with one device available to each prisoner.

The privately operated Clarence Correctional Centre has their own tablet solution with each prisoner assigned a tablet.

(c) Offender Tablet access varies across correctional centres. On average inmates have access to Offender Tablets for 16 hours per day from 3pm to 7am, with telephone calls via the OTS available until 10pm.

(d) Offender Tablets allow inmates to access a range of free static educational material relating to employment, programs, activities, health, behaviour, communication, and finances. Some educational material is also accessible via white-listed websites. From later this year, inmates will also be able to use their tablets to access a new Learning Management System (LMS). The LMS is a sophisticated central platform for inmates to view training material, engage with interactive learning, undertake tertiary education, complete behaviour change activities and access pre-release information to support reintegration.

(e) CSNSW has several ways of reporting details of offender tablet use. Monthly reports on Offender Tablet usage are produced. This reporting covers phone usage, application statistics, top 10 website clicks; tablet usage by site and entertainment packages purchased by each centre. This information is reviewed at monthly project assurance meetings and stored securely by CSNSW.

(f) Yes.

(i) CSNSW has received seven formal complaints and provided comprehensive responses to complainants.

(2) 

(a) Audio Call services are available on Offender In-cell Tablets via the Offender Telephone System (OTS). These are separate to Video Visit Tablets provided to inmates by video conferencing services, which are used for court, legal and family and social visits via video. The in-cell tablets are not used for video-conferencing at this time.

(i) Video Visit Tablets are provided to inmates free of charge for the purposes of court, legal and family and social visits via video.

CSNSW also covers the cost of all legal and three personal local calls per week for unsentenced inmates, and one personal local call per week for sentenced inmates, as well as all legal phone calls for sentenced inmates facing further charges

The OTS offers more than 30 numbers inmates can call for free through the Common Auto Dial Line (CADL), including government, legal, health, Aboriginal, housing, and disability services.

The cost of calls from Offender Tablets depends on the type of call - personal and legal calls, from an inmates approved contact list, can be made to local or national fixed 'land' lines, mobile or international. The cost to a prisoner of a 10-minute call to a mobile phone number is $2.60.

(ii) The Offender Tablets operate on a secure Wireless, or WiFi Network dedicated to Offender Telephone and Tablet use. The Video Visit Tablets operate using 4G mobile services.

(b) The Offender Tablet network is owned by the Department of Communities and Justice and managed by Ericom, via the Telstra OTS contract. Data network links to site are provided by Telstra.

The Video Visit Tablets operate using 4G mobile services which are provided by Telstra.

(c) This is a matter for the telecommunications provider.

(d) Under the existing contract with Telstra all infrastructure devices are covered by a maintenance agreement. Faulty or damaged tablets are returned to Ericom for repair or replacement. Costs for replacement tablets are covered by each Correctional Centre whilst tablets replaced under warranty are at no cost.

(3)

(a) The tablets are built specifically for correctional environments and each tablet is encased in an anti-tamper case. The software used in the tablets is a custom version of a mature mobile operating system where potential features that can be used by inmates to circumvent security protocols have been irreversibly removed.

(b) ViaPath.

(c) The Offender Tablets incur a Monthly Service Maintenance Charge of $2.00 per Offender Tablet.

(d) The Monthly Service Maintenance Charge for Offender Tablets is recovered from inmate calls to mobiles, at a rate of $0.01 per minute.

Question asked on 5 June 2023 (session 58-1) and published in Questions & Answers Paper No. 20
Answer received on 27 June 2023 and published in Questions & Answers Paper No. 35

The Parliament of New South Wales acknowledges and respects the traditional lands of all Aboriginal people, and pays respects to all Elders past and present. We acknowledge the Gadigal people as the traditional custodians of the land on which the Parliament of New South Wales stands.