Why Your Loved One at Growlersburg Had to Exchange Their Tablet
If your loved one at Growlersburg recently turned in their old tablet for a new one, don't worry — it wasn't disciplinary or random. CDCR switched statewide communications vendors, and every facility had to swap devices as part of the transition.
This change started at the state level. On February 21, 2025, the California Department of Technology awarded a new telecommunications contract to Securus Technologies, LLC. That kicked off a transition affecting tablets and communications across all CDCR facilities - including fire camps like Growlersburg.
Switching vendors can create service gaps if the old system shuts down before the new one is ready. To avoid that, CDCR secured an interim agreement with ViaPath during the changeover to Securus. The goal was simple: keep communications running while facilities moved from one platform to the other.
Growlersburg is part of CDCR's fire camp system, and all Fire Camps have now fully transitioned to the new platform. That's why your loved one already went through the swap - it's done, not just announced.
Here's why the device exchange happened: when a facility transitions, incarcerated people turn in their ViaPath tablet and receive a new Securus tablet. The old device doesn't stick around. CDCR requires a full swap so each facility runs on a single platform.
Note: Now that Growlersburg has transitioned, you'll need to use Securus for communications. If your loved one transfers to a facility still on ViaPath, you'll switch back to ViaPath until that facility transitions too.
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- ✓ Expect intermittent service outages during transitions
- ✓ Treat rollout dates as tentative; they can change
- ✓ Confirm services are working before you plan time-sensitive communications (like a scheduled video call)
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