Federal Bureau of Prisons Awards Tablet Contract as Part of Broader Modernization Push

Under a new contract, the Federal Bureau of Prisons will provide tablets from Securus Technologies to all inmates across BOP’s 119 active facilities. | Photo Credit: Federal Bureau of Prisons

• The Federal Bureau of Prisons announced a new inmate tablet services contract aimed at modernizing communication, education, rehabilitation and daily operations across federal facilities.
• According to the Bureau, the tablets from Securus Technologies will provide secure messaging, video services, educational content, career training, health information and reentry tools.
• The agency said the platform will also shift functions such as commissary orders, request forms and program registrations from paper-based processes to secure digital workflows.

WASHINGTON — The Federal Bureau of Prisons has awarded a new inmate tablet services contract that the agency says will expand access to communication, education and rehabilitative programming while helping modernize daily operations across its institutions.

Announced July 8, the contract calls for secure, corrections-grade tablets from Securus Technologies to be made available to individuals in BOP custody. The Bureau said the devices are intended to support successful reentry, strengthen family connections and reduce reliance on paper-based administrative processes.

In the BOP’s release, the agency framed the award as a significant technology upgrade tied to institutional safety and operational efficiency.

“Our first priority is the safety of our staff and the security of our institutions,” BOP Director William K. Marshall III said in the release. “This contract modernizes outdated operations, reduces administrative burdens and allows staff to focus on the critical work of maintaining safe facilities while expanding opportunities for rehabilitation and successful reentry.”

Beyond communications functions, the Bureau said the tablets will provide access to academic coursework and literacy support, career and technical training modules, evidence-based rehabilitative programming, faith-based materials, health care information and self-care education, and job-readiness content intended to support reentry.

BOP also said the platform will digitize a number of routine workflows that have traditionally depended on paper. Commissary ordering, request forms, program registrations and other administrative tasks are expected to transition to secure digital systems, which the agency said should improve accuracy and transparency while reducing staff workload.

A BOP representative told Correctional News that the rollout will occur in phases and will depend on factors such as wireless infrastructure installation, vendor backend system development and required federal IT security compliance. Additionally, the BOP noted that the four-year base contract (with three one-year extension options) does not require the obligation of appropriated funds by the Bureau, and that the sale of products and services such as phone calls and music to the incarcerated population will supply the funding for the contract.

The tablet announcement fits within a wider modernization agenda underway at the federal agency. Earlier this year, Correctional News spoke with Director Marshall about BOP’s emphasis on innovation, transparency and workforce development across the Bureau, including the use of new technologies and investments in infrastructure. In a separate move earlier this year, Correctional News also reported on a five-year, $106 million BOP contract with Leo Technologies for AI-enabled translation and transcription services tied to communications monitoring and investigative operations.

This article is based on a press release published by the Federal Bureau of Prisons on July 8, 2026.