50,000 New York prison inmates to get free tablets

NEW YORK, New York -- All 50,000-plus inmates incarcerated in New York State prisons will receive free tablets.

A Department of Corrections and Community Supervision spokesperson confirmed the new technology that will be hitting the hands of inmates soon.

Each tablet will have access to education and law materials, and give inmates the ability to email friends and family through a secure line.

Inmates will have the option to pay for ebooks, videos and music with their own money. The tablets will have internet or WiFi access.

The tablets will not be made of glass and are completely shatterproof, the DOC spokesperson said.

JPay, a privately-held company, will provide the tablets free of charge. No tax dollars will provide funding for this initiative, and the state will not make commission off of inmates' purchases.