TurnKey Corrections & The Wright County MN Jail Provide Inmates & Friends Video Visitation & E-Mail

Nov. 7, 2012 - PRLog -- Buffalo, MN: Several years ago, as plans to to build the new jail in Buffalo for the Wright County Sheriff's Office gained steam, the Wright County Jail sought to find a technology driven, streamlined commissary solution. After some thorough research and interviewing, Wright County selected a local Twin Cities-based firm, Hudson, WI based TurnKey Corrections, as the provider. Now, this relationship has reached a new level as the county seeks to provide additional levels of security for inmates while opening means for family and friends to maintain contact with their incarcerated loved ones. Starting in October, the jail commenced offering both inmate e-mail and off-site video visitation, the latest new products from TurnKey Corrections. All of these enhancements come at no cost to the tax-payers and furthermore, grow revenues for the jail to support many programs designed to reduce recividism rate.

The Wright County Jail provides a commissary program for inmates to purchase additional hygiene, food, and recreational items that are not provided by the facility. TurnKey Corrections was awarded this role through their state-of-the-art technology that includes kiosks located in the jail’s housing units. The TurnKey kiosks allow inmates to order commissary items with touch-screen equipment. Inmates view and make their selections on the kiosk. In addition, the kiosks feature technology to submit requests to staff members (to attend programs like AA, or request a nurse appointment) electronically. The features with these kiosks greatly reduce the paper-flow at the jail, and also reduce staff time spent manually processing commissary and inmate requests. The system which includes inmate accounting software, will allow staff to spend less time on commissary, and more time on jail operations.

The latest enhancements now free up even more time for jail staff. Friends and family can send and receive e-mails to inmates at a cost of $0.25 each. This is significantly cheaper than postage rates and the program allows for jail staff to review all incoming and out-going emails on a real-time basis. By doing so in a prompt fashion, inmates receive immediate communication back and forth, a critical factor found in helping inmates trying to forge a new path while incarcerated. And for jail staff, it means that communication is reviewed 100% of the time on a real-time fashion that can help maintain a better order of security. Combine these features with a program that TurnKey offers the facility for indigent inmates, inmates who do not have funds for such products, helps reduce postage costs to the jail and when combined with the revenue the jails earns from each e-mail, the goal is to make postage a neutral expense in the near future.

Off-site visitation is one of the most frequently discussed products on the market for jails today. TurnKey provides this service at an industry leading rate of $0.50 per minute. "Our competitors charge as much as 3x this amount" noted TurnKey President Patrick McMullan. "The public will not pay this. If jails want to provide better access to inmates while improving security given they dramatically reduce inmate movement, the public needs to have this service priced at a level that will drive this behavior; Our rates allow this" noted McMullan. McMullan added that off-site visitation has dropped on-site visitation traffic at jails for other clients has dropped over 70%. "Some sites have been so pleased with the effect that they have gone to a total off-site visitation solution".

"The majority of our population uses text messaging as their primary way of communication. Inmate e-mail right on the kiosk now provides them a real-time means to communicate in their preferred format. And by having this, it also provides us a new means to control behavior; if they don't behave, they lose this priviledge." noted Captain Patrick O'Malley, Wright County's Jail Administrator.  "And when you factor in that gas is over $3 per gallon, winter driving conditions, etc., these enhancements save our citizens time and money. It is a win-win for all." added Captain O'Malley.

All visits are monitored and recorded and can be terminated for inappropriate behavior.  This allows inmates to remain in their pods to visit family and friends which increases inmate safety and security.  "Plus, it allows children to visit from a safe environment that they are comfortable with." noted TurnKey CEO Todd Westby.  "This is one of the most important aspects of what we do: Provide jails with as many tools as possible to not only help grow revenues and control expenses, but to make a real impact on helping jails with tools that help return inmates to being citizens."  

In addition, the system offers an easy solution for friends and family to provide commissary and communication funds to their inmate. Loved ones now have the ability to deposit funds on inmate accounts and not have to travel to the jail. The public can use VISA or MasterCard through smartphones or the internet to deposit funds. Inmates get immediate access to these funds to use for anything from phone cards for calling family to buying hygiene items or snacks. In addition, there is an electronic kiosk in the lobby area of the jail that will accept cash as well as credit cards.

TurnKey Corrections provides superior technology for accounting software to manage inmate accounts, manage commissary transactions, and inmate communications. TurnKey Corrections has been a leader in the correctional commissary market for more than 10 years. TurnKey services over 75 clients in 13 states. TurnKey owns all aspects of its' technology, fulfillment, kiosk manufacturing, customer service and more.  All systems are copyrighted, patented and proprietary.  TurnKey has been an innovator in the industry by offering new products and technology that solve real jail issues.