Overview
- In an investigation published Wednesday, multiple death-row inmates described watching pornography and having explicit chats on state-issued tablets by working around content controls.
- Prosecutors allege inmate Nathaniel Ray Diaz used a tablet from inside Avenal State Prison to exploit a 12-year-old, and the U.S. attorney’s office says he remains in custody awaiting trial.
- California’s prison agency says the devices are tightly controlled education tools, and in April it formally banned obscene texts, sexually explicit images, and sexual behavior on video calls.
- The statewide program uses about 90,000 Securus tablets under a six-year, $189 million contract that could reach $315 million with extensions, with messages at 5 cents each and video at 16 cents per minute.
- A former senior corrections official warns staff cannot realistically monitor activity at this scale, raising risks for victims as the Newsom administration advances a rehabilitation-focused prison model.