Prison officials in Boise, Idaho, stated that 364 inmates hacked their JPay tablets and transferred $225,000 worth of credits into JPay account balances. The tablets are made available to inmates in prisons across the country through a contract with CenturyLink and JPay. Prisoners use these tablets to communicate with their families and friends, and purchase music and games.
“This conduct was intentional, not accidental. It required a knowledge of the JPay system and multiple actions by every inmate who exploited the system’s vulnerability to improperly credit their account,” Idaho Department of Correction spokesman Jeff Ray said in a statement. He added that no taxpayer money has been compromised.
According to the statement, around $225,000 was credited in 364 inmates’ accounts; 50 inmates received more than $1,000. The largest amount credited by a single inmate was under $10,000.
“JPay is proud to provide services that allow incarcerated individuals to communicate with friends and family, access educational programming, and enjoy positive entertainment options that help prevent behavioral issues,” JPay spokesperson Jade Trombetta stated. “While the vast majority of individuals use our secure technology appropriately, we are continually working to improve our products to prevent any attempts at misuse.”
The corrections-related service provider stated it has recovered more than $65,000 worth of credits so far and suspended the music and games facilities to the prisoners until they compensate for the losses.
