Allegheny County Jail Inmate Tablet Rental
Rent a Tablet for an Inmate in the Allegheny County Jail
Renting a Tablet for Allegheny County Jail Inmates
Allegheny 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 gettingout / GTL / Viapath.
The tablets are not connected directly to the internet, but instead to a server controlled by the Allegheny 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 Allegheny County Jail Inmates.
Allegheny County Jail
Address:
950 Second Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
Phone:
412-350-2000
Using or Renting a Tablet at the Allegheny County Jail
Allegheny County Jail allows inmates access to tablets to use for the services provided by Viapath / gettingout.
The devices are similar to common handheld tablets, but are made exclusively by GettingOut, a GTL / Viapath company.
Tablets offer specialized content and services for inmates to use during their stay at Allegheny County Jail, such as:
- Music
- Books
- Games
- Education
- News
- Radio
- Television
- Read mail and messages
- Video visits
- Free services are already available for use on the device at Allegheny County Jail.
- Subscription services are funded separately by family and friends with deposits made into an inmate’s Debit Link account.
- Allegheny County Jail Inmates will then be able to purchase subscription services and premium content to enjoy.
What Does a Tablet Cost?
To estimate costs for tablets and other services such as phone calls, sign in to your account and click “Rate & Fees Calculator” in the footer (bottom of the page), but the following gives you a general idea.
Game Center:
30-Day Subscription: $4.99, with an additional $1.00 service infrastructure charge ($5.99)
Fourteen-Day Subscription: $2.99, with an additional $0.75 service infrastructure charge ($3.74)
Seven-Day Subscription: $1.99, with an additional $0.50 service infrastructure charge ($2.49)
Unlimited eBooks:
Thirty-Day Subscription: $1.99, with an additional $1.00 service infrastructure charge ($2.99)
Fourteen-Day Subscription: $0.99, with an additional $0.75 service infrastructure charge ($1.74)
Seven-Day Subscription: $0.49, with an additional $0.50 service infrastructure charge ($0.99)
Streaming Music:
Thirty-Day Subscription: $8.99, with an additional $16.00 service infrastructure charge ($24.99)
Fourteen-Day Subscription: $5.99, with an additional $9.00 service infrastructure charge ($14.99)
Seven-Day Subscription: $2.99, with an additional $5.00 service infrastructure charge ($7.99)
Newsfeed
Thirty-Day Subscription: $3.99, with an additional $6.00 service infrastructure charge ($9.99)
Fourteen-Day Subscription: $1.99, with an additional $5.00 service infrastructure charge ($6.99)
Seven-Day Subscription: $0.99, with an additional $3.00 service infrastructure charge ($3.99)
Same Day Subscription Services
Game Center: $0.99, with an additional $0.50 service infrastructure charge ($1.49)
Unlimited eBooks: $0.25, (Total = 0.25)
Newsfeed: $0.24, with an additional $0.75 service infrastructure charge ($0.99)
FM Radio: $0.24, with an additional $0.25 service infrastructure charge ($0.49)
All Subscription and message credit pricing is subject to state and local taxes.
Replacement Components - should your inmate break it...
Tablet: $249.99 per each
Charger: $8.99 per each
Earbuds: $2.99 per each
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GettingOut / ViaPath Inmate Tablets & Media
Provider: GettingOut (Telmate) • Rebranding as ViaPath Technologies (myViaPath)
GettingOut provides specialized, secure handheld tablets for county jail inmates, offering access to messaging apps, telephone calling, legal research tools, eBooks, vocational training, and premium entertainment rentals. As part of GTL and Telmate's transition to ViaPath Technologies, tablet firmware and management platforms are moving to the myViaPath system.
Important: Tablet Feature Availability Varies by Facility
Jails manage tablet distribution according to individual facility contracts. While basic educational and legal materials are often provided without cost, access to music streaming, games, podcasts, and premium movies requires an active funded account. You should confirm the tablet rules with the facility directly. Registering and funding their media balance right away ensures your loved one has productive resources and recreation during their stay.
Step-by-Step Instructions to Fund Inmate Tablet Services
- Confirm that GettingOut / ViaPath handheld tablets are active at your loved one's specific detention facility.
- Navigate to www.gettingout.com or my.viapath.com.
- Sign into your verified user profile and link the inmate's legal name and booking ID number.
- Select Make a Deposit and choose either your Friends & Family Account (for messaging) or the inmate's personal Inmate Account (for entertainment and song rentals).
- Choose your deposit amount, review convenience fees, and complete payment with a credit or debit card.
- Notify your loved one that their tablet account balance has been funded.
What the Inmate Needs to Do
The inmate unlocks their assigned tablet or signs one out from the pod charging station using their biometric verification or PIN. Once logged in, their available balance appears on the screen, allowing them to download songs, stream educational content, and communicate with approved family members.
Official Providers: GettingOut Website | myViaPath Portal
Customer Service Telephone: 1-866-516-0115 (GettingOut) • 1-877-650-4249 (ViaPath)
Support Hours: Monday – Friday, 7:00 AM – 11:00 PM CST; Saturday – Sunday, 8:00 AM – 7:00 PM CST
Supported Languages: English and Spanish
Other Services Provided by GettingOut / ViaPath
In addition to Tablet Media & Rentals, GettingOut and ViaPath provide several other communication and account services:
- Two-Way Text Messaging: Send electronic letters and photos straight to the inmate's screen.
• Learn more on our website: Two-Way Text Messaging Guide | • Visit official vendor page: GettingOut Messaging - Remote Video Visits: Meet face-to-face over secure live video from home.
• Learn more on our website: Video Visitation Guide | • Visit official vendor page: GettingOut Video Visits - AdvancePay Phone Calling: Prepay for phone calling credits so your loved one can call your telephone directly.
• Learn more on our website: AdvancePay Phone Calling Guide | • Visit official vendor page: ViaPath ConnectNetwork Calling - Inmate Trust Deposits: Transfer cash directly into an inmate's jail ledger for commissary purchases.
• Learn more on our website: Inmate Trust Deposits Guide | • Visit official vendor page: ViaPath Trust Deposits
Frequently Asked Questions about Jail Tablets for Inmates
Does the Allegheny 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 Allegheny County Jail inmates and other jails?
Do inmates have to pay for tablets that they break?
Does the Allegheny County Jail have tablets for the inmates to use?
You can find information about the Allegheny County Jail’s GETTING OUT 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 412-350-2000 to confirm.
What can the inmates use the tablets for?
Inmates in jails and prisons are using GETTING OUT 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 GETTING OUT tablets, and through the jail. They control what each inmate sees. All GETTING OUT 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 GETTING OUT 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.
GETTING OUT 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 Allegheny 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 GETTING OUT 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.