Address:
124 S. Park Place
Cresco, IA 52136
Phone:
563-547-3535
Howard County Jail provides, or will soon provide, tablets for inmates to use for phone calls, video visitation, and sending electronic messages. If the tablet service provider isn't listed below, call the jail at 563-547-3535 for more information.
The tablets connect to a secure server managed by Howard County Jail, allowing all communication to be monitored. Written messages may be delayed while they undergo review by jail staff.
While the tablet may be provided free of charge, there may be fees associated with entertainment and educational use.
Scroll down to access the Frequently Asked Questions and Answers section regarding tablet rentals for inmates at Howard County Jail.
Note: This option may not be available for your inmate. When registering, check to see if tablets are available.
Does the Howard County Jail have tablets for the inmates to use?
What can the inmates use the tablets for?
Are the jail’s tablets connected to the internet?
How much do the tablets cost to use?
Why do the inmates have access to tablets if they are being punished?
What are the companies that provide tablets for the Howard County Jail inmates and other jails?
Do inmates have to pay for tablets that they break?
You can find information about the Howard County Jail’s tablet program at the top of this page. If there is no information about it, it is because they either have recently changed companies or are not yet providing this service for inmates. Call 563-547-3535 to confirm.
Inmates in jails and prisons are using tablets for all the communication services available such as video visitation, video phone calls, regular phone calls, and electronic messaging – which is like texting and email.
Tablets are also used for entertainment, such as watching movies, television shows, listening to music and reading e-books. It is also used for education, self-help information, and legal research.
No, they are not connected to the internet. All the messages, visits and programming goes through a system controlled by the company that provides the tablets, and through the jail. They control what each inmate sees. All messages are carefully screened and not delivered if the sender or the inmate violates jail policy.
For accessing visits and messages, the tablets are free to use. Each unit has many of them, all provided by the company that has contracted with the jail. Of course, the video visits and messages have a fee and those are paid for by the inmate’s family and friends who use the service.
That’s the question a lot of people ask and don’t fully understand.
The way the jail staff looks at it, is that if they can keep the inmates busy and distracted, it makes it safer for them.
Tablets also give them a certain power over controller an inmate’s behavior. For example, if an inmate knows that they will lose the privilege of having access to a tablet if they get into a fight or violate another rule or policy, they will be better behaved.
Tablets are one of the few things that make an inmate feel as though they are free, and they don’t want to lose the privilege of having access to one.
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Yes, if an inmate breaks a tablet, then they are responsible for paying for it. The money will come out of their commissary funds, so not only do they lose access to having a tablet as punishment, but they also won’t be able to purchase snacks on commissary.