Specifications include, but are not limited to: The ADOC seeks a comprehensive inmate communication system that will, at a minimum, meet the following goals at the best value to the ADOC, the inmates, and their family members: a) Provide PEDs and system application modules for inmates including, but not limited to, resources to assist in literacy programs, GED preparation, and analytical programs to help authenticate and track an inmate’s educational progress. The ADOC’s educational services in ADOC facilities are presently classroom based, and computer labs are typically only available in partnering college locations. For the most part, ADOC’s in-house classrooms still rely on paper and pencil-based learning and examinations. Current high-level program areas for education include, but are not limited to, labor certifications, educational credentials, self-help, and professional development through some of ADOC’s existing inmate development and partnered college programs; b) Provide constructive recreational activities that will engage the inmate population and act as an incentive for educational progress and positive behavior; c) Reduce recidivism by promoting increased secure communication options with family members at a reasonable and fair cost and by providing free access to proven digital re-entry career pathways; d) Increase security and communication with ADOC staff to create greater efficiencies for individual facilities as well as the ADOC as a whole; and e) Automate ADOC manual processes through the use of communication system applications to help eliminate duplicate data entries, expedite and document auditing requirements for processes including, for example, PREA reports, inmate request slips, and increasing reporting capabilities.
