Jones County jail tech helps inmates focus on education, health

Grey, Ga. — For the earlier thirty day period, inmates at the Jones County jail have been capable to choose classes to strengthen themselves. The sheriff’s office environment needed to do something to aid far better their experience in the jail.

Before the updates, inmates could only phone their liked types and do their assigned employment in the jail. With help from Pay Tel Communications, Inc., they’ve installed improved internet, online video calling products and services, and tablets in the facility. 

The tablets have everything from movies, music, and guides, and 10 types of courses the inmates can consider. From GED courses, anger management, parenting, and habit restoration to psychological health and fitness, the staff has seen a variance. Main Deputy Earl Humphries claims there are incentives when the inmates entire a class. 

“They also can accumulate credits for other leisure, cell phone expert services wherever they can call beloved ones at no charge to the inmate, they can also listen to tunes on the tablets,” Humphries mentioned.

Dara Johnson is in jail for a probation violation, and she’s identified to do what’s very best for herself inside the jail. 

“This application is really lovely. We enjoy to get the job done on parenting and we are obtaining to know ourselves again,” Johnson stated.

Johnson has 3 young children. She informed 13WMAZ she is attempting to construct a greater romantic relationship with them. She experienced from postpartum melancholy just after having her little ones back again to back again. She started out taking parenting lessons as a result of the Pathways to Reach program, which authorized her to understand what she was going as a result of mentally. All of the courses are on the Pay back Tel “inteleTABLETS” they have provided. Johnson suggests she’s learning how to chat to her children on the telephone and what to say. 

“I was scared to call them until eventually I did this, and at the time I did this, it gave me the encouragement to simply call them and communicate to them and permit them know that anything was going to be Ok,” Johnson stated. 

In a 30-day report, there have been 153 energetic learners and 22,807 classes have been done by inmates at the Jones County jail. 79 learners have concluded just one or more GED courses. Just one learner, Matthew Shields, has completed all 167 GED courses. 

Humphries advised 13WMAZ the jail staff members has recognized a “decrease quantity of pressure” from the inmates. For each two inmates, there is one particular tablet. They have to do their other obligations in get to use the tablet. He states the tablets “value the county absolutely nothing.” 

Johnson says she enjoys the Pathway to Attain software and will go on to perform by the courses to get better.