Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office follows Crowley in halting jail tablet messages
MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Confirmed reports of people in custody using tablet messaging to contact potential witnesses in their criminal cases led the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office to suspend the feature at the county jail effective immediately, the office announced Tuesday, Oct. 13.
People in custody can still use the tablets for education, entertainment and legal research, including the law library.
The move follows Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley's Friday, Oct. 9 directive to suspend tablet messaging at the Community Reintegration Center and his call for the MCSO to do the same.
The county's contract with tablet supplier IC Solutions covers both facilities, and the Sheriff's Office says it wants a consistent approach.
"Victims and witnesses must be able to take part in the justice system without fear," Sheriff Denita Ball said in the Tuesday announcement. Messaging will stay suspended until the office is confident any changes will protect victims and witnesses without compromising jail security.
The Sheriff's Office also says some recent public claims about the tablets were inaccurate. It says the tablets have no internet access, cannot place calls and are unblocked only during limited periods each day. Messages go only to recipients who agree to them and create an account verified with a government-issued ID. The office says the service is paid for through fees from people in custody and their families, not the county budget.
Anyone who believes a person in custody contacted them against their wishes can ask the office to block that person's messages using a form by clicking here.
Some organizations are voicing concern about the change. Marianne Oleson, co-director of EXPO -- Ex-incarcerated People Organizing of Wisconsin -- said in a statement to CBS 58 News:
"As someone who has been incarcerated and separated from my children, I understand what a connection to home means. A message from a parent can reassure a child that they are loved, encourage them through a difficult day, and help maintain a relationship through a painful separation. When we restrict communication, the consequences reach children and caregivers who have done nothing wrong.
Providing tablets is an established correctional practice. Wisconsin DOC is transitioning to issuing ICS tablets throughout all its adult facilities, and Ozaukee County delivers personal letters, pictures, and drawings through tablets available in its jail’s living units. This technology is used across jurisdictions and political lines.
Families deserve a clear timeline and an explanation of what must happen for access to resume.
I am concerned when incarcerated people and their children become talking points in a political campaign. These are real families, and these decisions should be guided by evidence and their consequences for safety and successful reentry.
We cannot keep telling people to build a better life while taking away the tools and relationships that help them do it. Protecting victims and preserving safe family connections are both responsibilities we need our correctional systems to fulfill."