DOC pilot tablets with ViaPath fall short of expectations; department plans RFP and policy work
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Summary
DOC officials told legislators the Highland Mountain inmate tablet pilot has shown communication benefits but has not delivered promised program outcomes; the department named ViaPath as the vendor and said it will pursue an RFP, draft policy, and regulatory changes before wider deployment.
Department of Corrections officials told the House Finance Committee corrections subcommittee that a pilot program using inmate tablets has delivered some operational benefits but has not yet met expectations set by the vendor.
Kevin Worley, administrative services director, summarized that the Highland Mountain tablet pilot was initiated in late 2024, the contract had been set to expire Sept. 1, and vendor services would continue through the end of the fiscal year. Worley said there is no FY26 funding impact tied to the current pilot continuation.
Zane Niswonger, director of institutions, told the committee bluntly: "We entered into a pilot program with a certain vendor and we really didn't see the results that we were promised...we've seen some red flags." He said DOC raised those concerns with the vendor, which has been motivated to correct deficiencies. Commissioner Jen Winkelman offered one concrete operational benefit: tablets enabled institutionwide announcements during a Highland Mountain water outage, removing the need for staff to deliver messages in person.
Members asked whether facilities have the infrastructure and whether telehealth is a compatible use case. DOC said vendor setup works with the Office of Information Technology but broadband and firewall barriers exist; the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) currently may not permit telehealth under its rules, and DOC is coordinating with the Department of Health. Representative G. Nelson asked the vendor name; DOC responded ViaPath.
DOC told the committee it expects to issue an RFP and to attach funding to any future procurement; the department also said it has drafted a tablet policy and included related regulation work in its regulatory reform plan.