Prisoners At Winnebago County Jail are Getting Tablets This Week

The tablets have arrived for inmates at Winnebago County Jail, and yes, you get to pay for them.

Jail officials say that the tablets have been distributed to prisoners housed at Winnebago County. The tablets are not capable of surfing the internet, but can be used to access the jail's intranet, which means the tablets will access to sites that are approved by the sheriff including:

• GED prep classes
• Religion classes
• Parenting classes
• A law library
• Anger Management classes
• Games

Jail inmates will also be able to use the tablets to access to music and make phone calls. Yes phone calls! According to the Rockford Register Star, in order for a jail inmate to make a call, the individual must have money in his or her commissary account.

So what is the benefit of inmates having tablets? Jail officials say it cuts down on violence, specifically assaults on officers and inmate on inmate assault.

The cost of the tablets and their maintenance has not been reported.

Catch Mark Charvat on Q98.5 from 3 p.m to 7 p.m. Follow him on Twitter, and Facebook