APDS in the News

Some San Francisco jail inmates are now in possession of computer tablets they can use to do homework, read novels and prepare for their criminal cases. The tablets were distributed Wednesday to more than 100 inmates.

One in every four kids in the United States fails to complete high school on time. That’s a stat Christopher Grewe is fond of using to prove his crucial point: “If you fail to complete high school, you’re eight to 10 times more likely to end up incarcerated…

A growing number of facilities are adopting more immediate means of communication such as email from handheld devices, providing a way for inmates to stay in touch more regularly with family members.

Cutting edge technology isn’t normally available to the more than 2 million men and women jailed in the United States — cost, security concerns and a criminal justice system that has favored punishment over rehabilitation are among the reasons.

Now, tablet computing offers a scalable way to deliver education, while also helping prisons eliminate cost centers such as law libraries through digitization. (New York alone has saved $2.3 million annually by moving this material online.)