Boone County Jail Inmate Tablet Rental
Renting a Tablet for an Inmate in the Boone County Jail
Renting a Tablet for Boone County Jail Inmates
Boone County Jail provides tablets for inmates to use for phone and visitation communication, as well as for sending and receiving electronic messaging.
The tablets are provided by INMATE CANTEEN.
The tablets are not connected directly to the internet, but instead to a server controlled by the Boone County Jail. This allows all communication between inmates and their contacts to monitored during calls and visits, as well as delays while written communication is reviewed.
Please note that while the jail may provide the tablet for free, there will be a cost for ongoing use of it for entertainment and educational purposes.
Scroll down for a complete section outlining Frequently Asked Questions and Answers regarding renting tablets for Boone County Jail Inmates.
Boone County Jail
Address:
2121 County Drive
Columbia, MO 65202
Phone:
573-875-1111
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Inmate Canteen (TurnKey Corrections) provides specialized handheld tablets and Chirp communication units to incarcerated individuals in county detention centers. Running over a secure internal wireless network, these devices allow inmates to send and receive text messages, submit facility requests, review commissary balance accounts, and read digital materials directly from their living areas.
Important: Tablet Hardware Deployment and Rental Rules Vary
Detention centers do not manage tablet distribution identically. While some agencies issue individual personal tablets to every detainee at booking, others utilize shared pod docking stations or restrict tablet use to specific dayroom hours, which you should confirm with the facility directly. Although core educational and legal resources are generally provided free of charge, sending messages, initiating video calls, or making phone calls from the tablet requires an active balance funded by outside contacts.
Step-by-Step Instructions to Support and Fund Tablet Use
- Confirm that TurnKey Corrections / Inmate Canteen tablets or Chirp devices are active at the facility.
- Navigate to www.inmatecanteen.com and sign into your user profile.
- Link the inmate to your account by state, detention facility, and their legal name or booking ID.
- Select Messaging / Chirp Funds or Trust Deposits to add funds to their available balance.
- Specify your deposit amount, review convenience fees, and enter your credit or debit card billing details.
- Submit payment, save your confirmation receipt, and notify your loved one that their device balance is available.
What the Inmate Needs to Do
The inmate logs into their assigned tablet or Chirp device using their personal PIN. They can review their available messaging balance, read incoming family correspondence, and type replies directly on the device. Tablets are returned to docking stations during facility count times and for overnight charging.
Official Provider: Inmate Canteen Official Website
Customer Service Telephone: 1-715-690-2965
Support Hours: Monday – Friday, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM CST
Supported Languages: English and Spanish
Other Services Provided by Inmate Canteen (TurnKey Corrections)
In addition to Tablet Services, Inmate Canteen provides several other communication, financial, and commissary services:
- Commissary & Care Packages: Order pre-approved snack boxes, food packages, and clothing directly to the jail.
• Learn more on our website: Commissary Orders Guide | • Visit official vendor page: Inmate Canteen Commissary - Remote Video Visitation: Schedule and join live face-to-face video visits from your computer or smartphone.
• Learn more on our website: Video Visitation Guide | • Visit official vendor page: Inmate Canteen Video Visits - Digital Messaging: Send electronic text messages and digital photos directly to housing pod kiosks and handheld devices.
• Learn more on our website: Digital Messaging Guide | • Visit official vendor page: Inmate Canteen Messaging - Trust & Phone Deposits: Deposit money directly into an inmate's jail trust account or phone calling balance.
• Learn more on our website: Trust & Phone Deposits Guide | • Visit official vendor page: Inmate Canteen Deposits
Frequently Asked Questions about Jail Tablets for Inmates
Does the Boone County Jail have tablets for the inmates to use?
What can the inmates use the tablets for?
Are the jail’s tablets connected to the internet?
How much do the tablets cost to use?
Why do the inmates have access to tablets if they are being punished?
What are the companies that provide tablets for the Boone County Jail inmates and other jails?
Do inmates have to pay for tablets that they break?
Does the Boone County Jail have tablets for the inmates to use?
You can find information about the Boone County Jail’s Inmate Canteen tablet program at the top of this page. If there is no information about it, it is because they either have recently changed companies or are not yet providing this service for inmates. Call 573-875-1111 to confirm.
What can the inmates use the tablets for?
Inmates in jails and prisons are using Inmate Canteen tablets for all the communication services available such as video visitation, video phone calls, regular phone calls, and electronic messaging – which is like texting and email.
Tablets are also used for entertainment, such as watching movies, television shows, listening to music and reading e-books. It is also used for education, self-help information, and legal research.
Are the jail’s tablets connected to the internet?
No, they are not connected to the internet. All the messages, visits and programming goes through a system controlled by the company that provides the Inmate Canteen tablets, and through the jail. They control what each inmate sees. All JailATM messages are carefully screened and not delivered if the sender or the inmate violates jail policy.
How much do the tablets cost to use?
For accessing visits and messages, the Inmate Canteen tablets are generally free to use. Each unit has many of them, all provided by the company that has contracted with the jail. Of course, the video visits and messages have a fee and those are paid for by the inmate’s family and friends who use the service.
Why do the inmates have access to tablets if they are being punished?
That’s the question a lot of people ask and don’t fully understand.
The way the jail staff looks at it, is that if they can keep the inmates busy and distracted, it makes it safer for them.
Inmate Canteen Tablets also give them a certain power over controller an inmate’s behavior. For example, if an inmate knows that they will lose the privilege of having access to a tablet if they get into a fight or violate another rule or policy, they will be better behaved.
Tablets are one of the few things that make an inmate feel as though they are free, and they don’t want to lose the privilege of having access to one.
What are the companies that provide tablets for the Boone County Jail inmates and other jails?
CIDNET
City Tele Coin
Gettingout
GTL
Homewav
IC Solutions
Inmate Sales
JailATM
J Pay
NCIC
Oasis
Paytel
Reliance
Securus
Smart Communications
Do inmates have to pay for tablets that they break?
Yes, if an inmate breaks a Inmate Canteen tablet, then they are responsible for paying for it. The money will come out of their commissary funds, so not only do they lose access to having a tablet as punishment, but they also won’t be able to purchase snacks on commissary.