A way to converse with jailbirds

Minimum standards that apply to South Carolina detention facilities will be up for consideration when the Oconee County Council holds a regular January meeting tomorrow night at the Pine Street administrative office complex.  Specifically, a recommendation is to be made to award a new inmate communication services contract to Encartel, a company in Nebraska.  According to an explanation of the matter, inmate communications include phone, video calls and email (eMessaging). Encartel would provide inmates the capability of submitting forms, such as grievances and medical requests, to detention staff without the use of paper.  Jail staff would be able to scan and digitize incoming postal mail that would allow the inmate to access the image from an application within the inmate communication system.