Another example of the inmates running the asylum…or at least the prisons.

Or maybe I'm blowing it out of proportion. OK, I can see letting prisoners have email, as long as it can be monitored. These people will organize unlawful acts with any communications. Music, books, fine, but you must be very careful with communications with the outside.

110,000 Texas prison inmates to get computer tablets with apps, radio and email

Tablets will create efficiencies for the state, TDCJ said, and a consistent connection to the outside world might also reduce recidivism, as well.

DALLAS — The Texas Department of Criminal Justice will soon distribute computer tablets to almost all of its prison inmates across the state.

“We have 118,000 inmates. There will be a few categories, some of the disruptive inmates, that we may not be able to issue to… but at this point, we would have well over 110,000 tablets issued within the system,” said Bryan Collier, executive director of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

Collier made the comments in Tuesday’s "Virtual Re-entry Symposium" hosted annually by Unlocking Doors, a non-profit organization that prepares inmates to re-enter into society.

“Inmates will be given a tablet that will be preloaded with education materials, some e-books, some religious materials,” Collier added. “They have radio. They can also have music on it. It’ll come pre-loaded with some music. They will have an opportunity to buy some additional things to add to it.”

In addition, inmates can send and receive email – not real-time – but within 24-hours, Collier explained. They can even file a grievance on their tablets.</> Perhaps more importantly, he said, this creates a smart, safe way for prison administrators to put specific content in front of every inmate’s eyes...

I hope it does make the prison more manageable. Good luck Texas Department of Corrections.