The city recently signed contracts with two startups to help
educate inmates while in prison and keep them connected once they're out. Traditionally,
it's been difficult to implement technology into inmates' lives. Prisons often
don't have space for a computer lab, and even if they do, they require
significant monitoring, since inmates can't have unrestricted access to the
Internet.
Jail Education Solutions is hoping to fix those issues. The
Chicago-based startup is rolling out a pilot program in Philadelphia to provide
tablets to inmates. They will offer everything from literacy classes and
college coursework to vocational training and financial literacy seminars.
A 2013 report from RAND found that inmates who
received education while in prison were 43% less likely to become repeat
offenders. JES designed tablets specifically for the program, so they'll only
have offerings determined by the prison system.
The pilot program will put more than 100 tablets in the
hands of both male and female inmates. The startup received $30,000 from the
city to roll it out. Eventually, they'll rent the tablets to inmates for $2 a
day, which Hill says will allow the company to be self sustaining.
It's not just about the education, although that's a huge
benefit, according to Louis Giorla, the commissioner of prisons. He said this
type of programming also improves the prison environment as a whole.
Improving reintegration is a huge focus. There are an
average of 8,300 people in the Philadelphia Prison System -- and over 50% of
them return to prison within three years. This is where Textizen comes in.
The startup built a web platform to manage and organize mass
text messages. Simple enough, but it has huge potential for Philadelphia's
Office of Reintegration Services (RISE), according to Khalil Morrison, a case
manager there. He's one of five case workers at RISE, each of whom works with
about 80 ex-offenders ("returning citizens," per a 2013 executive
order from Mayor Michael Nutter).
It allows caseworkers to easily remind participants of
appointments and alert them to job expos and other community events. And it's a
two-way street: Participants can take a photo of their pay stub and send it in
as opposed to faxing it in or bringing it in person, which is how things stand
now. RISE also plans to send out surveys asking for feedback on expos, classes,
instructors -- and the program in general, which Textizen's system will analyze
over time.
JES and Textizen were both part of FastFWD, a
Philadelphia accelerator funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies. Ten startups set
out to solve problems around the issue of public safety. At the end of the 10
weeks, three received city contracts. While Philadelphia's projects are small
in scale, they're already opening doors around the country.
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