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New Project Will Make West Virginia Jails More High-Tech

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West Virginia regional jails are automating the handling of inmates' money and going high-tech with jail visits and communications.

The Charleston Daily Mail reports the project known as Lockdown is scheduled to be in all state regional jails by the end of the year.

Under the project, an Arizona company is installing kiosks where inmates can send and receive emails. They'll be charged the same as a first-class letter for each one sent.

Viewing screens on the kiosks are capable of letting jails allow friends and family members to have video chats with prisoners at a cost of $1 a minute.

The project also enables a machine to count and deposit money from inmates into their own jail accounts upon arrival.