Allegheny County Jail Inmate Tablet Rental

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 '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?

  • Tablet devices include some services and the content is free.
  • The subscription services require additional funding.
  • There may be multiple options such as 7-day or 30-day subscriptions.
  • Costs are dependent upon the available services and what the Allegheny County Jail charges.

To estimate costs for phone calls, sign in to your account and click “Rate & Fees Calculator” in the footer (bottom of the page) or call 866-516-0115 for assistance.

Does Allegheny County Jail have tablets for the inmates to use?

You can find information about the Allegheny County Jail’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 412-350-2000 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.
 

Can Allegheny County Jail inmates get hot, home-cooked meals delivered to them?

For instructions on how to get prepared food deliverd to inmate in Allegheny County follow these instructions:

For all information, tips and available items for shipping Commissary packages or freshly cooked meals to an inmate in Allegheny County Jail check out our Commissary Instructions Page for Allegheny County.


 

How to Deposit Money in an Inmate's Trust Account in Order to Purchase Prepaid Calling Cards, Phone Calling Time or Commissary

To Deposit Money in an inmate's account follow these steps:

  • Create a ConnectNetwork account 
  • Select your inmate, and add to them to your account,
  • Deposit money into his or her commissary account.

**NOTE** GTL is in a transition merging into a new company called ViaPath Technologies.


Features:

  • Deposit options available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week via phone 877-650-4249, and online.
  • Mobile-friendly deposit options are available via their app.
  • Deposits and payments made through automated channels (ConnectNetwork Website, Mobile App, Toll Free Phone, or Kiosk at the jail) are transmitted to the facility within one business day.
  • Deposits that are mailed are processed the next business day after they are received by GTL.
  • Inmate can choose how to spend the funds you deposit.

All the information you need to understand depositing money into an inmate's trust fund, specifically for phone calls, but also for Commissary, in Allegheny County, can be found on our Send Money Page.


 

How to Deposit Money Online for an Inmate in Allegheny County

To deposit money online for an inmate in Allegheny County Jail follow these steps:

  • Register to open an account, or Sign In to JailATM, a service that acts as a bank for inmates in Allegheny County.
  • After registering and signing in, select 'Send Money Now'.
  • Choose Pennsylvania, then choose Allegheny County Jail
  • Type in your inmate's last name or their Inmate ID.
  • Select your inmate.
  • Input an amount to deposit to your inmate in Allegheny County Jail, and then input your payment method. 
  • NOTE: There may be a limit on how much money you can send your inmate in Allegheny County at any one time.
  • If you need to phone customer support, call 877-810-0914.

For all information, tips and procedures for sending money to an inmate in Allegheny County Jail, or depositing money at the jail, over the phone or by mail, check out our Send Money Page for Allegheny County.


 

How Do Inmates in Allegheny County Jail Make or Receive Phone Calls?

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

1.  Start by confirming that Allegheny County Jail has the phone service you need to communicate with your inmate by the facility lookup here.
2. In the meantime, you can create an account here for GettingOut.
3. Then add funds to your account. This account can be controlled by just you, or by both you and your inmate.
4. Last, select Allegheny County Jail, and then the inmate you wish to communicate with.

Allegheny County Services that are provided by GettingOut, a GTL company:
 - Phone Calls & Voicemail 
 - Video Visits (from home or jail lobby)
 - Email & Photo Sharing
 - Tablet Rental
 - Deposits


Phone & Voicemail Fees

1.  GettingOut charges $0.25 per minute for all phone calls, prepaid or collect, within Pennsylvania.
2. Prepaid calls between Pennsylvania and other states costs $0.21 per minute. International calls are $0.95 per minute.
3. There is a fee of $3.00 every time you add money to your account online, and it costs $5.95 if you add funds over the phone with a live agent.
4. You can also leave an inmate a short voice message for a flat fee of $1.25.

Note: Rates are subject to change.

Types of Phone Calls
Collect Calls
Collect calls allow you to accept and pay for calls to your land line (only) phone account. This means that if you accept your call from your inmate, all the charges for that call will then be billed to your land line phone account and will show up and be listed on your next local phone bill. Additional fees, costs, restrictions may apply.

Prepaid calls (Direct Calls)
With Prepaid Calls you can set up your account so that the inmate can only call you and/or you can just deposit money in their account and they can purchase prepaid phone cards through their commissary and call whoever they choose, provided the Allegheny County Jail approves of the phone number.

Quick Connect
Quick connect is an alternative to collect calls. It allows you to quickly pay for a phone call with your credit card.  When your inmate calls you, follow the instructions from the automated voice system to pay for that one phone call, directly billed to your card.

Customer Service
If you have any questions about the Allegheny County Jail GettingOut phone services, you can call them at 866-516-0115.

* All the information you need to understand making and receiving phone calls with inmates in Allegheny County, can be found on our Inmate Phone Page.


 

How Inmates Can Use a Tablet to Access Services at Allegheny County Jail

To find out how to get access to a tablet for inmate read the following:

1.  First, Register or Sign In to GettingOut/GTL

2.  Purchase the services you want for your Allegheny County Jail inmate.
3. All inmates have free access to the tablets to read their letters from family & friends, but there are many other services available to keep your inmate busy while incarcerated... such as Games, Books, Music and Movies. These other services come with fees that you can pay for when you pay for phone service.

To learn more about Tablet Rentals for inmates, including the cost, all the services available and everything else you need to know, check out our Tablet Rental Page.


 

How to Communicate with an Allegheny County Jail Inmate by Mail and by Email

To mail or email an inmate in Allegheny County follow these steps:

When mailing a letter or postcard to an inmate, please follow these instructions:

  • All mail sent to an inmate at the Allegheny County Jail must include the sender's name and mailing address in the top left corner of the envelope or postcard.
  • All mail must include the facility's address, as well as the inmate's name and assigned number.
  • Failure to include your return address will most likely result in your mail NOT being delivered and your letter destroyed.
  • The Allegheny County Jail has a zero-tolerance policy regarding mail violations. 
  • All the information you need to understand mail and email policies can be found on our Inmate Mail Page and our Text/Email an Inmate Page.

Emailing Messages & Photos

Facility_name_1} contracts with GTL GettingOut, the same service that handles iInmate Phone Systems and Video Visitation, for sending secure messages and photos between you and your inmate.
 
If you are not already registered, do so here, or Log in.

Then use the Facility Finder to:
1.  Select Allegheny County Jail,
2. Add your inmate to your list of contacts,
3. Add a credit or debit card to cover your costs.

  • Messages can be up to 500 characters long, including punctuation. At the bottom of your message there is a 'character countdown' feature.  
  • After you click the “CONTINUE” button, you can review the cost to send your message to your inmate. You can also attach credits for your inmate to reply to your message.  Be sure to accept the Terms and Conditions and click the “SEND” button for your message to be successfully delivered to your inmate.
  • You can also send your Allegheny County inmate photos and videos.

Customer Service Questions
'Online' Contact Form, or
Call   866-516-0115

Go here to this FAQ to get answers to how the transition to ViaPath from GTL and gettingout will affect your account.

All the information you need to understand mail and email policies for Allegheny County can be found on our Inmate Mail Page and our Text/Email an Inmate Page.


 

How Do You Visit an Inmate in Allegheny County Jail?

To visit an inmate in Allegheny County, whether by video or in person 'at the jail', follow these steps:

Other than 'at the jail' visits between you and your inmate, which is explained and outlined in detail on our Visit Inmate Page, Allegheny County remote video inmate visitation can be done using the services of GettingOut

There are three ways to remotely visit your inmate in Allegheny County Jail:
1.  Using the GettingOut Kiosk at the jail.
2. Using your computer from home.
3. Using your phone on the GettingOut apps.

To remotely visit an inmate in Allegheny County follow these steps:
1.  Start by confirming that Allegheny County Jail's Video Visitation is working correctly by looking up Allegheny County here.

2.  The next step is to create an account here for GettingOut.
3. Then add funds to your account.
4. Last, select Allegheny County Jail, and then the inmate you wish to communicate with.

Other Allegheny County Services provided by GettingOut:
 - Phone Calls & Voicemail 
 - Email, Photo & Video Sharing
-  Inmate Tablet Rental
-  Deposits

Customer Service
If you have any questions about the Allegheny County Jail Visitation Services you can call them at 866-516-0115.
Frequently Asked Questions

* All the information you need to have complete knowledge about inmate visitation; policies, rules, fees, schedules, tips, dress codes, and children, lawyers and clergy visitation in Allegheny County, can be found on our Visit Inmate Page.

Allegheny County Jail Phone: 412-350-2000


 

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