We caught this story on King 5 News out of Seattle last night.  The story examines the practice of loaning inmates money for regular postage against their inmate trust account, and suggests that the Washington Department of Corrections (WADOC) is trying out some “high-tech ways” to keep costs down and their operating budgets healthy.

King 5 doesn’t mention JPay directly, but we provide some of these high-tech solutions to WADOC, including inmate email and money transfer.  And that’s definitely a JPay kiosk at the 2:49 mark in the video below.

Take a minute to watch this clip; it provides a good example of the challenges being presented to departments of correction across the country, and how JPay is providing solutions to those challenges.

We especially like the quote from inmate Andrew Raymond, who says (while sitting in front of the JPay kiosk in his unit): “It allows me to start restoring the relationships that I unfortunately damaged.”  It underscores the need for a sustainable, reliable communications system between inmates and their friends and family on the outside.

Let us know what you think!  The link to King 5′s full article is here.

A pilot program being considered by the United Kingdom’s Ministry of Justice could put phones in inmate’s individual units, or cells.  Officials cite two rationales for the program: first that it could reduce the growing quantity of contraband mobile phones being smuggled into the facilities and second, that it could reduce the lines and waiting encountered by inmates at communal phones.  The Guardian and Corrections One both posted a Press Association story outlining the pilot program this past weekend.

Prisoners in the UK, like many of their stateside counterparts, already have access to “public” phones in centralized locations.  The calls made from the proposed unit-located phones would be subject to monitoring and recording, just as with phones located in dorms or cell blocks.

At JPay, we know that both of the challenges cited by the Ministry of Justice – the prevalence of contraband mobile devices and the security issues associated with congregating near public phones – are equally daunting here in the US. Our client agencies, including some of the largest Departments of Corrections in the country, turn to our kiosk-based inmate communication solutions specifically to reduce queues, contraband, and to help mitigate the administrative challenges that both problems pose.  In fact, JPay kiosks are installed according to specific inmate-to-kiosk ratios and distribution designs that minimize the amount of traffic and wait times in communal locations.

This strategy helps preempt the need for in-cell phones (though we have yet to learn of a US facility or agency that is considering such an approach).  This is not to say, however, that we don’t recognize the potential benefits of allowing technology into the individual unit: our JP3 players are capable of allowing inmates to view (but not respond) to emails they download and store to the device within their own cell.  Other technology may well find a place within an inmate’s unit.

Ultimately, however, we see this as a well-intentioned but potentially badly-perceived attempt to reduce contraband and prisoner movement.  There are better, cheaper alternatives that can achieve the same ends.

First, thank you all for your comments since we’ve updated the look and feel of our blog.  We hope you find it easier to navigate and find the posts that are of most interest to you.

Our last post in particular – regarding “cell” phones in UK facilities – drew a lot of comments (commenter J.S. had it right, by the way: the proposal calls for the installation of land line phones in each living unit, hence the play on words “cell phone”).  Clearly, inmate communication is one of the most important topics in corrections right now.

At JPay, we understand this very well.  We know it’s difficult for the friends and family of incarcerated individuals to go without speaking, writing, or seeing their loved ones for extended periods of time.  In response, we try to offer inmate communications services that help bridge that gap, and make those time periods shorter.  Our inmate email, video visitation, and prepaid phone time services do just that, we think.

But we also understand, as we believe many of our customers do, that unrestrained communication within prisons would create an unmanageable corrections environment.  Though the vast majority of inmates may simply want to pay their debt, do their time, and return to society, there are certainly those who would leverage the channels of communication that we on the outside take for granted to perpetuate their illegal activities.

For that reason, communications in a corrections environment will always be limited.  There will always be rules.  And anything that tries to circumvent those rules, like the smuggled-in mobile phones that are plaguing facilities across the country, will always be contraband.

A news item out of Oregon this week highlights the importance of minimizing this sort of contraband.  An Oregon inmate serving a sentence for kidnapping his wife and daughter was repeatedly trying to ‘friend’ her on Facebook, according to the article on KATU.com.  This was an understandably traumatic experience for the ex-wife, and though the Columbia River Correctional Institution stated that none of the contraband cell phones they confiscated last year were used to access Facebook, it’s not difficult to imagine another contraband device in another situation being used for exactly the same creepy (and illegal) purpose.

In a bit of synchronicity, another news story (from Fox 12 in Oregon) describes one of the efforts the Oregon Department of Corrections is undertaking to prevent the influx of contraband cell phones.  “Sprint” is a cell phone-sniffing dog, and he’s as adorable as he is amazing.  Watch him here:

There is a balance to be struck concerning inmate communication.  The rights and safety of victims must be protected, while inmates must be allowed to maintain beneficial contact with their communities on the outside.  At JPay, we firmly believe that there are ways to accomplish both goals efficiently and effectively.

JPay makes all stamps ‘forever’ stamps

JPay stamps will no longer expire, regardless of facility, DOC, or agency.  Going forward, any stamp purchased by a customer to send an email, add an attachment, or provide an inmate with a prepaid reply will not expire.

JPay has used digital “stamps” for years for its inmate email service.  In the most common case, customers purchase a stamp in order to send an email to their loved one – provided, of course, that their loved one is in a state or county facility that allows JPay emails.  Photo attachments (which are available at certain facilities) also cost one stamp, as do other attachments.  Inmates must use a stamp – either purchased by their friend or family member as a prepaid reply, or purchased with funds from their inmate trust account – to respond via email.  JPay stamps are the backbone of the JPay email system, and are what make one of the most popular corrections-related services possible at all.

The price of one stamp ranges, but most are around $0.40 – $0.50.  Stamps are often also sold in bulk, with discounts for 20 or 50 stamp blocks.  And until last week, some stamps had to be used within a certain period of time, or they would simply expire.

A ‘forever’ stamp option has always been available to all customers, but for those customers who also had the option of purchasing stamps with expiration dates, this could present a dilemma.  Should the customer purchase expiring stamps at a discount, knowing if they didn’t use them within a month they would disappear?  Or should they buy the slightly more expensive ‘forever’ stamps, that they could use at any time?

So JPay decided to make a change, and make the process of buying stamps the same for all of its customers.  From now on, any stamps purchased by JPay customers are ‘forever’ stamps; they can be used two days from purchase, or 20 days, or 20 months, no matter where their loved ones are housed.

This reflects JPay’s longstanding commitment to its customers.  Many JPay users expressed concerns over the stamps that expired, and the decision to get rid of expiring stamps was due in part to this feedback.  JPay has always tried to provide services that are convenient, easy-to-use, and relevant to our customers.

Having one kind of stamp for the one company that provides the widest array of corrections services to the family and friends of inmates just makes sense.  JPay believes its customers will feel the same way.

We came across an article last month describing an organization that helps inmates in San Quentin connect to the wider world through social media.  The story, published in the online version of The Atlantic by Alexis Madrigal, outlines the efforts of The Last Mile, a group with the stated goal of providing inmates with access to the technology industry (San Quentin is located in Silicon Valley), but which in practice is giving select inmates a voice in the ever-widening sphere of social media.

A handpicked group of inmates have messages posted to Twitter, Quora, and blogs by The Last Mile and their volunteers.  The organization distributes “Tweet Sheets” every week, according to the article, and the inmates draft their 140-character messages to be posted under the Twitter feed @TheLastMile.  Each tweet includes a hashtag that indicates the inmate-author.  Most of the tweets are poignant and articulate, and more than a few leave you with a sense of hopefulness and introspection.

We think this is a wonderful initiative.  As a company that specializes in using technology to bridge the communication gap between inmates and their families, we wholeheartedly applaud The Last Mile’s efforts to use the latest in social media to help achieve that goal.  While it is important to remember that unfettered access to social media can potentially be dangerous – we have tacked this issue before, specifically with respect to contraband mobile devices in facilities – the way The Last Mile approaches social media is a prudent, beneficial method.

We’re already following @TheLastMilesq on Twitter (we retweet them occasionally – you can follow us @JPay_com).  We encourage you to support this initiative as well.

In a few months, two of JPay’s most popular services will arrive in Virginia Department of Corrections facilities: inmate email and the JP4 personal music player.  JPay already helps the friends and family members of Virginia inmates send money online and over the phone (since 2007), but with the launch of email and music, JPay customers will have more options than ever for supporting and communicating with their loved ones.

Email, which has never been offered before in Virginia, allows friends and family members to send regular text emails, as well as photo attachments and to receive replies by email.  Every email and attachment will need to have a JPay stamp, which usually costs around $0.30 (pricing varies by state, and specific stamp prices for Virginia have not been set).

JPay’s music program features the brand-new JP4 mini-tablet, which provides inmates with a way to listen to music and play simple games in their living units.  Inmates purchase music from the JPay kiosks, then download the songs or albums onto their JP4 player.  The JP4 (or the earlier version, the JP3) is one of JPay’s most popular products, as you can probably imagine, and is currently available in five states.

Inmates access both the email and JP4 music programs through JPay kiosks installed in the facilities’ common areas.  Kiosks are just beginning to be installed, and should be ready to go in a few months.

The Virginia DOC supervises 29,706 offenders as of August 2012.  Inmates are housed in 49 state-operated facilities, including 28 Major Institutions, 8 Correctional Field Units, 6 Work Centers, 4 Diversion Centers and 3 Detention Centers.  The largest facility is Greenville Correctional Center near Jarratt, VA, with a population of 2,686.

Last year as Thanksgiving approached, we wrote about how grateful we are for the JPay Family – our work team, our fans and followers who engage with us on social media, and, most importantly, the remarkable friends and family members who we interact with every day.  This is all still true; we remain thankful for the JPay Family, and we always will be.  If you’re reading this, you’re a part of it, and we’re thankful for you!

This year, you all helped us get to 100,000 Likes on Facebook, demonstrating the value of having a forum in which to become “friends” with others who share similar circumstances.  Speaking of Forums, the JPay Friends & Family Forum recently welcomed its 75,000th active member, and @JPay_com has gathered 1,600 followers on Twitter.  We are thankful for all of you who make these social sites a welcome home for the JPay Family.

We are also thankful for those friends and family members of inmates who just discovered JPay this year.  Several states signed on with JPay since last Thanksgiving, including Louisiana, which means several thousand people were introduced to us for the first time.  Our customers, as we’ve mentioned before, are some of the most resilient and hopeful people we’ve ever encountered, and we’re always thankful for them.

JPay would like to wish you all a very happy thanksgiving, and we hope you are able to spend at least some time with your loved ones on this day.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Article on money-saving, community-building prison newscasts echoes JPay

We came across an interesting article this week by Michael Rosenwald in the Washington Post – The News Behind Bars – which describes a closed-circuit newscast at the Maryland Correctional Training Center in Hagerstown, Md.  According to the Post article, the newscast, produced and conducted by inmates, has replaced a printed prison newsletter at a significant cost savings to the facility.

While this news may not touch on JPay services directly, it nonetheless hits on a couple of points that are important to us.

First is the author’s statement that “having an outlet in which to record and share information is, even among wards of the state, a primal need, if not a basic right.”  We couldn’t agree more.  Though the communications services JPay offers are aimed at facilitating the flow of information between inmates and their loved ones on the outside, we see firsthand the positive impact such communication has on both prisoners and their family and friends.  Being able to stay connected creates community, and a sense of community inspires the better angels of everyone’s nature.  The same can be inferred from the newscasts Mr. Rosenwald describes; the quotes from the prison “anchors,” in particular, reflect the positive effect this approach has had.

The second point that resonated with us at JPay is the cost savings incurred by the facility when it made the shift to televised inmate news from a circulated paper newsletter.  In a way, we have been helping corrections facilities make similar shifts for nearly a decade.  Our money transfer services, which allow the friends and family of inmates to electronically deposit money into trust accounts, reduce the amount of labor-intensive money orders a facility must process (once the only way to send funds to an inmate).  Our eMessaging service, which functions much like email for inmates and their loved ones, dramatically cuts down the amount of physical mail a prison must sort.

Like the Maryland prison newscasts, each of these services have both improved the quality of life for inmates and helped save cash-strapped facilities crucial dollars.

Correctional facilities across the country face similar challenges as the Maryland prison profiled in this article.  Those facilities would do well to consider similar solutions, solutions that instill a sense of community and facilitate the flow of information between inmates and their loved ones, as well as help close the budget gaps that have become all too common.

First the big game in the Big Easy, now the big player for the big house!  

JPay’s revolutionary mini-tablet, the JP4, is now available for purchase in all Louisiana state correctional facilities.  You can also buy the JP4 player for a Louisiana inmate online at JPay.com.  Additionally, all Louisiana  facilities now allow inmates to browse and buy digital music on the JPay kiosks installed in the living units.

Six prisons in Virginia have also begun offering the JP4 for sale.  Just like in Louisiana, inmates can purchase the players directly from the kiosk using their commissary funds, or their friends and family members can purchase one on their behalf from JPay.com.

The JP4 device is a mini tablet computer designed and built for the correctional environment.  It features a responsive touch screen, a built-in music player, an FM tuner, a calendar, and comes pre-loaded with several games and other applications.  At the low price of just $49.99, the JP4 is simultaneously one of the most affordable and most powerful personal media devices available to inmates today.

How to buy a JP4 for an inmate

If you have a loved one in Virginia or Louisiana and you’d like to buy them a JP4, first

• Log into your JPay account (new users can create a free account here)
• Click on the Music section
• Use your debit or credit card to complete the purchase.

The JP4 will be delivered directly to the inmate.

How to fund an inmate’s media account

If you would like to add funds to your loved one’s media account so they can purchase a JP4 or music tracks to play on it, first:

• Log into your JPay account 
• Click into the Music section
• Click “Send JPay Credits”
• Follow the directions to send credits

JPay Credits deposited into the media account are not subject to restitution or other deductions (like funds sent to commissary or spendable accounts), though the money can only be used for the purchase of media.

Where the JP4 is available in Louisiana (all prisons):

Allen Correctional Center (ALC)
Avoyelles Correctional Center (AVC)
BB “Sixty” Rayburn Correctional Center (RCC)
C. Paul Phelps Correctional Center (PCC)
David Wade Correctional Center (WCC)
Dixon Correctional Institute (DCI)
Elayn Hunt Correctional Center (HCC)
Forcht-Wade Correctional Center (FWC)
J. Levy Dabadie Correctional Center (DCC)
Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women (LCW)
Louisiana State Penitentiary (LSP)
Winn Correctional Center (WNC)
Where the JP4 is available in Virginia (six prisons and counting):

Sussex II State Prison
Sussex I State Prison
Nottoway Correctional Center
Red Onion State Prison
Wallens Ridge State Prison
Keen Mountain Correctional Center

Every Saturday, Brandon gets up early, puts $60 in his tank, and drives a little more than a hundred miles to see Erin at the Mission Creek Corrections Center for Women. He never misses a visit, because sixty bucks and a couple hours on the road is a small price to pay to see his wife’s face.

But Erin’s birthday was on a Tuesday this year – Valentine’s Day, actually – and Brandon couldn’t get away from work. So he did the next best thing: he and Erin had a Video Visit.

JPay Video Visitation is in pilot testing at the Mission Creek Corrections Center for Women (MCCCW), which is how Brandon and Erin were able to have their special birthday video call. A full-scale launch at MCCCW and other Washington prisons is scheduled for the next few months.

JPay will launch the web video calling service in two Ohio state prisons – the Ohio Reformatory for Women (ORW) and the Correctional Reception Center (CRC) in March, as well as at the Miami Correctional Facility in Indiana. These facilities join state prisons in Georgia, North Dakota and Indiana in offering Video Visitation.

See if Video Visitation is available in your loved one’s area. Click here to visit JPay.com.

How does it work?

Inmates access the Video Visitation system through the JPay kiosk installed in their living units, each of which has a webcam and handset designed to withstand the rigors of a prison environment (the kiosks also feature JPay email). The inmate’s friends and family schedule web video calls through JPay.com – each call is subject to approval by the corrections agency – and conduct the visit from the comfort of home.

In Brandon’s case, he visited from the comfort of his pickup.

Like Brandon, many individuals with loved ones in the state prison system live many miles away from where they are confined, making in-person visits inconvenient and costly. Video Visitation bridges the distance gap with technology, and JPay eases the financial burden with reasonable rates for the typical 30-minute video call session. In fact, in some prisons a half-hour Video Visit is cheaper than a half-hour phone call.

To learn more about Video Visitation, click here.

Contraband mobile phones present challenges – and danger – to Indiana prisons

WISH-TV in Indianapolis recently aired an in-depth news segment on the proliferation of cell phones in Indiana state prisons. The piece quotes prison officials as saying that cell phones are the most dangerous piece of contraband in the corrections centers, largely because they facilitate other crimes. Yet, despite a department-wide initiative to reduce contraband cells, including using battery-sniffing dogs to discover concealed phones and implementing tough screening processes for workers and visitors, the Indiana Department of Corrections (IDOC) continues to confiscate between 100 and 200 phones a month. They are still getting in.

Actually, we’ve been mobile for the past few months, but last night our new app just hit the Google Play Store and is ready for our customers to test it out before it goes live to the public. In addition to our fresh new look, we’ve added the ability to create and manage your account. But most exciting is that we’ve brought over another one of our services to join “Send Money” as products that can be handled entirely from your Android mobile phone!

As a bonus, we’ve added a brand new feature that we know our pen pal users will LOVE! This can’t be done on JPay.com yet, so be the first to try it out!

To test our app—

1. Create a Google+ account using the same gmail address your Android phone uses for Google Play
2. Find our page on Google+ here: http://ow.ly/ltC7E
3. Follow and +1 our page! (optional)
4. Read our latest post and view our “JPay Beta Test Group” community
5. Follow the link to become a tester, agree, and install
6. Have fun and leave feedback

PS – Check back on our blog updates during our Beta Test!

Thank you those who have been testing our beta app and leaving feedback! The past few days have been spent fixing issues as well as optimizing the usability of the app. For example, those of you who have only one contact on your account will find that contact pre-selected when composing an email. We’re planning to do the same when sending money and selecting a payment method so that all you have to do is enter in how much you want to send and your card’s security code! We’ve also improved the way the app handles drafts to and from JPay.com, so you can easily pick up where you left off on either platform.

How else can we make this app even better? What process on JPay.com, our old app, or our new beta app could be made even easier? Leave your feedback in the comments below!

Congratulations to the three winners of the JPay Video Visitation essay contest: Derrick Simmons, Jeffery Greenwell, and Jeanne Slattery!

We received over 200 entries, and all of them were great!  Choosing the best three essays from this pool was a difficult but thoroughly enjoyable task.  We learned that Video Visitation means something a bit different to each of you, but that all of you value the time you spend talking face-to-face with your loved ones.

So after much deliberation, and without further ado, here are your winners!

First prize – a $25 Walmart gift card – goes to Derrick Simmons of Nevada for his clever and moving poem:

While on Jpay’s website completing a simple transaction;
I noticed an innovative way for families to have interaction.

For those with loved ones that are locked up across the nation;
It sounds like a futuristic tool to ease the pain of incarceration.

I checked and video visitation isn’t available in our state;
So, unfortunately for now, our family will have to wait.

But when we get the option to connect online with our brother;
His entire family will be so excited, but especially our mother.

She hasn’t seen her son in years and this would be the next best thing;
Watching them reunite with all the bittersweet joy that would bring.

So until that happens we will try to remind him he is not forgotten;
That even though he’s made mistakes he has value and is not rotten.

And although he’s locked up in his cell for twenty-three hours per day;
We’ll reach out through letters and one day video visitation from Jpay.

Jeffery Greenwell of Washington took second prize – $10 of JPay stamps – with this essay that highlights the difference between letters and video visitation:

For both those who are incarcerated and their loved ones on the outside, letters can provide great comfort. Receiving a letter or card in the mail brightens the day of inmates and loved ones alike. Though letters are always welcome, being able to see a loved one on the computer screen can bring even greater joy. Though I have not yet had the opportunity to take advantage of this service, I can imagine that the impact of words spoken aloud can be even greater than those written on a sheet of paper. Yes, inmates and their loved ones can send photographs, but those pictures freeze a moment in time. They are wonderful to have around as reminders, but video visitation allows for moving images. When I use the word “moving,” I mean both images in motion and images that stir the soul and that fill hearts with love and gratitude. Now people on the outside don’t have to guess whether their loved ones are all right; they can see it with their own two eyes. They can look in the eyes of the inmate so dear to them and communicate, both verbally and non-verbally, their hope for a better future. They can see the inmate’s confident posture a determination to press forward and hope for a better future. Interacting with a loved one in a dynamic, immediate, and vibrant method of communication that at its best can convey hope, love, and optimism to all involved–this is what video visitation means to me.

Last but not least is Jeanne Slattery of Louisiana, earning a third prize of $5 in JPay stamps with her moving story about her sister:

JPAY – I have a sister that I’ve been very close to my whole life, we finish each other’s sentences, share our joys and commiserate on our setbacks. We always had each other’s back and at times we knew we could only count each other to get through. I miss my sister.

Now that she’s incarcerted the communication (except e-mail) has stopped, the closeness is disappearing. I can barely remember the sound of her voice. She’s in my heart and thoughts daily when I see a book she’d like to read, a favorite food she liked, or hear a song from our past. I’ve heard a rumor that her facilty in Louisiana will be getting video visitation! Hopefully that’s true. Then I can see C, if she’s lost weight, is she looking tired or older? Is she healthy? I can hear her voice and see her blue eyes,and her new long hair.
As a senior citizen in Florida it’s far too expensive for us to plan a round trip to Louisiana for a four hour visit! Whatever a video visit costs us it will be worth every penny to see her and “be with her” to set our minds at ease. To help ease the worry. I haven’t seen my sister in two years. Being able to see her, even on a video visit may help our hearts to ache a little less. It’ll give us something to look forward to in the routine of our days.

Both of us are very old and my sisters’ sentence is long. It is possible that one of us will die without us ever having the chance to see each other again. I want to have video visitation memories so I can say “that she looked good, or happy the last time we spoke, the last time I saw her.” I want the memories to sustain me. I want to talk to her and have a little sense of normalcy returned to us, even if it’s just a short visit. I want to tell her I love her, and miss her, and I can say this directly to her in a video. That’s what a video visitation means. It means everything when your loved one is away. It’s a wonderful gift.

Congratulations to all three of our winners, and to everyone who participated in this Video Visitation contest!  We hope you get to see your loved ones very soon, whether it’s on the computer screen or in your arms!

In June we released a major update the JPay Mobile app for Android, and today we are proud to announce that we are entering the beta test phase of the iPhone version! If you would like to try out JPay Mobile for iPhones—with an updated look and email functionality—we are looking for testers to give us feedback. Please click on the link below and fill out the form to become a tester and get the first look inside our new app!

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1hJWDldXLNzUvx-GFIWh4lOmsMfTHTXoPHnxDOwcWOLA/viewform

Thought e-cards were a thing of the past? Think again. Filling a void found in many prisons, JPay has made digital greeting cards “en vogue” again. Pick a design, customize a message, attach to an email –and you’ve got instantaneous communication versus traditional mail. For about 35 cents each, less than the cost of an envelope and stamp, incarcerated individuals and their loved ones can choose from about 30 designs – making saying “I Miss You” or “Happy Birthday” faster and a whole lot easier.

Read the full article

The post Prisoners Sending E-Cards Actually Makes A Lot Of Sense appeared first on JPay Blog.

We’ve received a lot of questions about the JP5 tablet. So get ready for some JP5 “101.”

“So in prison you can send email? Listen to music?  Download games?

With the JP5 Tablet, yes you can!

The next-generation tablet for corrections has brought all of these activities to inmates across the country. With an Android-based operating system and a game store with tons of cool apps, the JP5 tablet aims to provide a constructive way to spend time. From sending emails and video messages, to downloading games and new album releases, to watching educational videos, the JP5 gives inmates access to technologies that help them be productive with their time and stay connected with loved ones.

“But what is the overall vision in bringing the JP5 tablet to corrections?”

The ultimate aim of the JP5 tablet program is to provide a modern resource to help the incarcerated community stay connected and build needed relationships to assist reentry into society. Additionally, education is key to  reducing recidivism and by providing free educational resources, we hope to help build a foundation that will lead to a successful life after prison.

“Wait, you can earn your college credits from the JP5 tablet too?”

JPay is committed to making digital education a reality for any facility, helping to reform corrections and prepare offenders for success upon release. Courses and assignments can be downloaded to the JP5 tablet and completed outside of the limited classroom interactions. JPay also makes free KA Lite educational videos available, and depending on the facility, students can earn college credits and certifications through JPay’s Lantern, our tablet-based educational platform with an extensive Learning Management System and content from reputable providers.

“How is JPay able to bring this kind of technology to such a challenging environment?”

Over the past decade, JPay has worked to build a high-security platform that allows us to deploy today’s technologies inside prisons, and ensure that  families can remain in-contact with their incarcerated loved ones. From the field technicians and account managers that are constantly working with and within each facility, to our support ticketing team responding to every request, we are here to bridge the technological gap.

“So how can my loved one get a JP5 tablet?”

Availability varies by state, but we are constantly working to bring the JP5 series to every state and facility.

For details on the JP5 family of tablets in your state, please visit http://bit.ly/1Srbpnm.

The post What’s this JP5 tablet all about? appeared first on JPay Blog.

Picture this… part of your job is traveling to different states across the country. This job, however, is a little different from the typical job on the road: instead of convention centers or office buildings, you’re visiting correctional facilities.

Welcome to a day in the life of a JPay Account Manager. JPay currently services hundreds of correctional facilities across the country, and each facility needs some dedicated expertise to help bring our technology to life.

Our Account Managers can sometimes spend a week or more on the road working within different correctional facilities to help introduce our technology and attend to prison staff and inmate needs. Today, we bring to you “Stories from the Field,” where we have our Northwest Regional Account Manager sharing her experience.

Visiting Idaho…

One part of my job as an Account Manager is taking a week out of the month to visit different prisons to “teach” our technological platform. Our services and technology are often a virtual revolution for corrections facilities, so it’s important to be onsite. For this visit, Idaho would be the next stop on this weeklong trip.

When I arrived, everyone in the facility was eager to get their hands on the newly installed JPay kiosks. You could feel the enthusiasm and joy from everyone knowing that music downloads and email would be accessible.  We started with the basics….the different hardware, how to log in, accessing personal account information, and the customer support process.

Working hands-on provided a great opportunity to introduce some of the modern day technology to the inmates. In particular, ordering items from the commissary took on a complete upgrade with the integration of our system. Previously, all ordering was completed on bubble sheets; now, inmates could submit orders directly from the kiosk, making the process much more efficient.  The interface even includes pictures of the commissary items!  It was like going from the Stone Age to the 21^st century.

Working within the correctional facility gave me the opportunity to directly engage with those who use our services, and deliver one-on-one customer service. Being able to introduce our technology was not only educational for the facility staff and inmates, but great experience for me that I surely won’t forget.

—–

By traveling on the road and working one-on-one with the facility staff and inmates, we’re proving that new technology and corrections can not only coexist, but thrive. The interaction of our Account Managers hopefully should make a lasting impression, and ultimately contribute to post-release success and reintegration into society.

The post Stories from the Field appeared first on JPay Blog.

Sending selfies to your loved one has never been this easy. JPay recently introduced Snap N’ Send, a feature of the JPay mobile app that allows you to send a picture to your incarcerated loved one… without having to attach it to an email! It’s that simple: you just snap a photo and click send!

Staying in touch can be as easy as Snapping N Sending. Share those everyday moments by seamlessly taking and sending pictures all in one single, intuitive step and for just one stamp, you can bring a moment of joy. Don’t forget to dust off any old pics stored away that can now be shared with your loved one with Snap N’ Send.

Download the JPay app today to conveniently stay connected with the services available at your loved one’s facility. Now available for IPhone and Android devices.

Try Snap n’ Send!

1. Download & open the JPay App
2. Select your loved one in a participating facility
3. Take or select a picture to be sent to your loved one
4. Click “Send” and your picture will be delivered (Please be aware that photos might be screened before being released)

*Snap N’ Send is only available through JPay App and is only available for you to send to your loved one*

Don’t have the app?  

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