RJ Donovan Tablets Guide: What They Can Do, Why They Lock, and What to Do After Release

The DOC-approved tablet is purposely limited while in custody. No Wi‑Fi, no camera. It only runs DOC-approved apps, so it's nothing like a regular consumer tablet where you can download whatever you want.

Even with those limits, the tablet is a useful day-to-day tool. Your loved one can send and receive email, listen to music, play a limited set of pre-approved games, and read eBooks. All purchases run through the tablet's built-in system, not an open app store.

Tablets are ordered by the inmate, not by family. The DOC requires that approved tablets be purchased through the Pennsylvania DOC commissary system, so your loved one has to place the order from their side.

1. Create a JPay account - You need a JPay account to send money that your loved one can use toward a tablet purchase.
2. Send funds to the inmate’s account - You are not buying the tablet directly. You are adding money so the inmate can purchase it through commissary.
3. Know it is not anonymous - JPay provides the Department of Corrections with a sender name for each transaction, so inmate accounts cannot be funded anonymously.
4. Your loved one orders the tablet through commissary - Once funds are available to them, they place the commissary order for the approved tablet.

These tablets include a 30-day "mortality timer." The device has to be synced to a kiosk inside the prison at least once every 30 days. Miss that window, and the tablet locks. When people get surprised by a locked device, this timer is almost always the reason.

After release, the tablet stays with the person, but the mortality timer doesn't go away on its own. Once they're home, they need to mail the tablet to ViaPath Technologies to have the timer removed. That single step is what keeps the device from locking down the road.

Sending it in also turns the device into something closer to a regular tablet. Once ViaPath Technologies removes the mortality timer, they load software that enables Wi‑Fi and camera functions.

• ✓ Pack the tablet securely for mailing to ViaPath Technologies so it is protected in transit.
• ✓ Include clear contact information so support can reach you if there are questions during processing.
• ✓ If you are unsure about what to send, what to include, or what status to expect, call ViaPath Technologies customer service at 877-650-4249.

Content on the tablet is paid for with "link units." One link unit equals one penny. Inmates use link units to buy songs, send emails, play games, and pay for other DOC-approved items. Link units are purchased through commissary orders.

If you want to support ongoing tablet use, funding is the main way to help. When you send money through JPay, you're putting funds in your loved one's account for commissary purchases, including link units that cover emails, music, games, and other DOC-approved tablet content.