RIVERSIDE COUNTY, Calif. -- LexisNexis U.S. and Touch Sonic Technologies launched a new legal information kiosk that will change the way prisons comply with court mandates requiring inmate access to the law.
The two companies have already installed the new wall-mounted kiosks with shatterproof touchscreens in four corrections facilities in Hawaii, and in five facilities in California.
The kiosks, called the TSTLL, were developed specifically for prisons by Touch Sonic Technologies and feature legal research from LexisNexis, a leading provider of legal, news and business information services, according to a news release.
Most prison libraries offer legal books, which can be damaged or lost, and are quickly outdated. With these kiosks, corrections departments are expected to save hundreds of thousands of dollars on costly law books, while offering comprehensive and current legal information to inmates. States also stand to save money with fewer prisoner complaints about lack of access to legal research, which comprise substantial numbers of the inmate lawsuits filed.
In addition to ensuring access to current legal information, the TSTLL unit allows the correctional facility to track the usage of each inmate through a login, providing a record that can be used to defend allegations of non-access.
"We designed the TSTLL to work in a corrections environment where safety is a big concern, so we built in not only safety features like a shatterproof screen but flexibility to locate the kiosk within the cellblock," said Jack Long, vice president of Touch Sonic Technologies, in the release. "We also know that inmates are dealing with time constraints and in many cases limited knowledge of the law, and we developed a system that offers options to both new and advanced users."
