By C1 Staff
HAMMOND COUNTY, Tenn. — Inmates at the Hammond County Jail will now be able to place commissary orders, report grievances and request medical and counseling appointments through a new electronic kiosk system.
The Times Free Press reports that Tennessee law required the jail to implement the new commissary service and other vending services through the Licensed Blind Vendors.
The jail and LBV have been in negotiations for years, but the sheriff called the situation a “win-win” for all.
“It’s a new day for us at the Hamilton County Correctional Facility, as we are upgrading some of our equipment,” Sheriff Jim Hammond said. “We do realize we’ve got to make changes and are moving to a new electronic way of doing business in corrections and law enforcement.”
Seventy-two kiosks have been wall mounted and allow inmates to easily access services on a touch screen. Commissary orders are processed off-site and are delivered in a clear, sealed plastic bag twice a week.
The public can add money to an inmate’s commissary funds through another kiosk in the jail lobby. Any funds remaining in an inmate’s account upon his release are placed on a debit card by a kiosk near the jail’s exit.
The new system is also used in the booking process, allowing officers to create a digital record of an inmate’s funds upon their entry into incarceration.
LBV paid the cost of the new technology and installation; they will receive majority of the profit that originally went to the county general fund. The fund will now receive a flat commission of $2 per order placed by inmates.