County Legislature to vote in opposition of tablets for inmates

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 24 February 2018 at 1:59 pm

ALBION – The Orleans County Legislature has a resolution on its agenda next week to formally join State Assemblyman Steve Hawley in opposing a free tablet program for inmates.

There are about 2,000 inmates in state prisons in Orleans County with about 1,000 women at the Albion Correctional Facility and 1,000 men at the Orleans Correctional Facility.

“The Orleans County Legislature also demands that this program be shut down immediately and the laptops be used for law-abiding citizens, students in our schools, provided to our library systems, or veterans organizations,” according to a resolution to be voted on Wednesday during the Legislature’s 4:30 p.m. meeting at the County Clerks Building, 3 South Main St.

Hawley, R-Batavia, sent a letter to Gov. Cuomo asking the program not go forward for inmates.

“If it’s this easy to encourage vendors to provide free tablets to inmates, why aren’t they being provided to our students in disadvantaged school districts or to libraries across the state as a community resource?” Hawley said.

The Department of Corrections and Community Supervision said the tablets will keep inmates better connected with their families, and also provide some educational and productive opportunities for inmates, which will reduce recidivism, ultimately making communities and the prisons safer.

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