Grand Forks County Jail & Detention Center Inmate Tablet Rental

Grand Forks County Jail & Detention Center

Address:
1701 North Washington
PO Box 5244
Grand Forks, ND 58206-5244

Phone:

701-780-8224

Inmate Tablet Rentals at the Grand Forks County Jail & Detention Center

Grand Forks County Jail & Detention Center uses the services of Reliance Telephone for video (visit) phone calls and for emailing/texting to inmates.

Note: This option may not be available for your inmate. When registering, check to see if tablets are available.

  • Known as the 'Reliance Inmate Wallet', it makes funding jail communication easy. 
  • Payments made into an 'Inmate Wallet' account are linked to a dedicated telephone number for inmates who rent one of their Reliance Tablet Phones.
  • Inmate Wallet funds can be used for personal inmate text messaging, voice calls and video calls. 
  • The cost of this is $4.00 per month for rental of the Reliance Tablet Phone + $0.25 per minute for video and voice calls.

Does Grand Forks County Jail & Detention Center have tablets for the inmates to use?

You can find information about the Grand Forks County Jail & Detention Center’s 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 701-780-8224 to confirm.

What can the inmates use the tablets for?

Inmates in jails and prisons are using 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 tablets, and through the jail. They control what each inmate sees. All 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 tablets are free to us. 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.

If inmates are supposedly being punished, why do they get access to tablets?

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. 

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 companies have tablets for jail and inmate use?

CIDNET
City Tele Coin
Gettingout
GTL
Homewav
IC Solutions
Inmate Sales
JailATM
J Pay
NCIC
Oasis
Paytel
Reliance
Securus
Smart Communications

What if an inmate breaks a tablet, do they have to pay for it?

Yes, if an inmate breaks a 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.
 

Grand Forks County Jail & Detention Center now offers Homewav ComPAS™ (Portable Access System) tablets to their inmates.


 
Homewav is the same company that handles the inmate phone system, video visitations, email and texting and digital letters.

The tablets can be rented on a monthly basis and while not directly connected to the internet, the inmates can use them for phone, visits, messages, education, self-help and entertainment.

Questions:

To learn more about Homewav tablets, the dozens of features, cost and how to get one delivered to your inmate, check out our Inmate Tablet page.


 

How Do Inmates in Grand Forks County Jail & Detention Center Make Phone Calls?

To receive phone calls from inmates in Grand Forks County, or to assist them in making phone calls to other people, follow these steps:

  • Grand Forks County Jail & Detention Center uses the services of HOMEWAV.
  • Register with them online or call them at 844-394-6639
  • Agents are available from 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM CST, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, and speak both English & Spanish.
  • Services for Grand Forks County inmates and their families and friends include Collect Calling, PIN Debits or Purchasing Calling Cards.

For all the information regarding phone calls with Grand Forks County inmates; rules, policies, phone calling times, video, messaging, time limits and more, visit our Inmate Phone Page.


 

How to Visit or Email an Inmate in Grand Forks County North Dakota or visiting an inmate at the jail

To visit or email an inmate in Grand Forks County follow these steps:

  • In addition to visiting inmates at the jail, Grand Forks County Jail & Detention Center uses a video visitation service called HomeWav.
  • Register and Sign Up Here.
  • Complete all steps of the registration process to get full access to Grand Forks County Jail & Detention Center inmate communication services.
  • Add ‘Talk to me Funds’ to your account using your credit or debit card.
  • Then you just wait for your Grand Forks County inmate to communicate.
    How do you add Funds to your account?
  • Once you are logged in, click “Add Talk to Me Funds".
  • Type in the amount of dollars you want to add to your account.
  • Click “Update”.
  • Choose a way to pay (Credit, debit, or prepaid card).

Who do you contact if you are having any problems arranging the remote video visit, phoning or emailing of an inmate in Grand Forks County?
Call HomeWav support at 314-764-2872, or toll free 844-394-6639.
Monday – Friday 
9:00AM to 6:00PM EST
Saturday – Sunday 
8:00AM to 6:00PM EST

NOTE: All communications between you and your inmate at Grand Forks County Jail & Detention Center will be recorded and stored. Do not discuss your inmate's case or other sensitive information as it can be used against them (or you) in court.

For full instructions on all the benefits of using Homewav to visit a Grand Forks County inmate, visiting an inmate at the jail itself, email and texting an inmate, rates, policies, rules, dress codes, bringing children, attorney and clergy visits and more, go to our official Visit Inmate Page. 


 

How Do You Schedule and Visit an Inmate in Grand Forks County Jail & Detention Center?

To set up an account to schedule and visit your Grand Forks County inmate, follow these instructions:

  • Register and set up a new account with RELIANCE, or log in if you already have an account.
  • Select Grand Forks County Jail & Detention Center, then select your inmate who you will be visiting.
  • Your identity will have to investigated and approved by the Grand Forks County staff.
  • Once approved, you can schedule a visit.

For all the information you need in order to schedule and visit your Grand Forks County inmate, or to assist them in visiting with others, including instructions, fees, cost of each visit, requirements for free visits, tablet rentals that can be used for visits, payment methods and times that your inmate can have a visit, check out our Visit Inmate Page.
NOTE: All of your visits with your inmate will be monitored and recorded. Use discretion when discussing sensitive information about their pending case.


 

How Do Inmates in Grand Forks County Jail & Detention Center Make Phone Calls?

To set up your Grand Forks County inmate to make to make phone calls to you and others, follow these instructions:

For all the information you need in order to receive phone calls from your Grand Forks County inmate, or to assist them in making calls to others, including instructions, fees, cost of calls, payment methods and times that your inmate can use the phone, check out our Inmate Phone Page.
NOTE: All of your communication with your inmate will be monitored and recorded. Use discretion when discussing sensitive information about their pending case.


 

How Do Inmates in Grand Forks County Jail & Detention Center Send and Receive Texts and Emails?

To set up your Grand Forks County inmate to make to send and receive texts and emails to you and others, follow these instructions:

  • Register and set up a new account with RELIANCE Telephone, or log in if you already have an account.
  • Review your communication options and choose the option for sending secure messages.
  • Select Grand Forks County Jail & Detention Center, then select your inmate who you will be funding.

For all the information you need in order to send and receive texts and emails from your Grand Forks County inmate, or to assist them in sending and receiving secure messages to and from others, including instructions, fees, cost of each message, tablet rentals, payment methods and times that your inmate can send messages, check out our Text/Email an Inmate Page.
NOTE: All of your communication with your inmate will be monitored and recorded. Use discretion when communicating sensitive information about their pending case.