INMATE TABLET SERVICES ERIE COUNTY CORRECTIONAL FACILITY AND ERIE COUNTY HOLDING CENTER

Location:	New York
Posted:	Nov 19, 2025
Due:	Dec 17, 2025
Agency:	Erie County
Type of Government:	State & Local
Category:	S - Utilities and Training Services
Publication URL:	To access bid details, please log in.

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ERIE COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP)

INMATE TABLET SERVICES

ERIE COUNTY CORRECTIONAL FACILITY AND ERIE COUNTY

HOLDING CENTER

RFP #2025-048VF

Due December 17, 2025

JAIL MANAGEMENT DIVISION

40 DELAWARE AVENUE

BUFFALO, NEW YORK 14202

COUNTY OF ERIE

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

INMATE TABLET SERVICES FOR ERIE COUNTY CORRECTIONAL FACILITY AND ERIE

COUNTY HOLDING CENTER

1. INTRODUCTION

Proposals are being solicited from qualified Vendors to provide inmate tablet services for

the incarcerated individuals detained at the Erie County Correctional Facility (ECCF)

located at 11581 Walden Avenue in the Town of Alden, and the Erie County Holding

Center (ECHC) located at 40 Delaware Avenue in downtown Buffalo. The average daily

population (ADP) at the ECCF is 515 and the ADP at the ECHC is 370.

This Request for Proposals (RFP) outlines the Erie County Sheriff’s Office (ECSO)

requirements for this project. The selected Vendor will provide tablet services for each

incarcerated individual at both detention facilities. Any item not specifically mentioned

but necessary for the delivery and operation of the proposed system shall be included in

the proposal. These specifications and requirements should be in sufficient detail to

secure proposals on comparable services.

2. PROJECT BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

The ECSO currently operates two separate detention facilities: the ECHC in Buffalo and

the ECCF in Alden. Both facilities operate under the authority of the Erie County Sheriff’s

Office Jail Management Division. Originally built in 1937, ECHC is a 7-story high-rise

maximum-security facility. The ECCF, built in 1985, is a 2-story medium-security facility

with a campus layout. The ECSO seeks to provide tablet services to the incarcerated

population. Tabletsneed to be durable and tamper proof, to the greatest extent possible,

to prevent incarcerated individuals from damaging and/orusing parts forprohibited acts.

3. GENERAL INFORMATION AND REQUIREMENTS

A. Schedule

The anticipated schedule for the project is:

RFP Release

November 19, 2025

RFP Questions Due

December 3, 2025

RFP Question Response Date

December 10, 2025

RFP Due Date

December 17, 2025

B. Due to the complex nature and security concerns of correctional facilities, Vendors

must be well experienced in providing this type of service. The Vendor shall

demonstrate at least seven (7) years of experience providing inmate tablet services

to customers of similar size.

C. The Vendor should provide an overview of their firm, including years and nature of

experience in inmate communication business.

D. The Vendor must demonstrate a commitment to technological upgrades, including

consistent new technology deployment over the last three years or more

E. Firms are encouraged to include Certified Minority and Women Owned Business

Enterprises (M/WBE) in their teams in order to meet Erie County’s goals of 15% MBE

and 5% WBE participation. Certified M/WBE proposers should include the Erie

County certification letter with the proposal.

F. Pursuant to Erie County Local Law 5-1 (2023), firms are encouraged to include

Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Businesses (SDVOBs) in their teams in order to

meet Erie County’s goal of 6% SDVOB participation. Certified proposers shall include

proof of certification under the New York State Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned

Business Act.

G. One (1) original, three (3) print copies, and one (1) PDF copy of the proposal on a

flash drive are required to be submitted by 3:00 pm on December 17, 2025.

H. Final sealed proposals are due to the Erie County Sheriff’s Office ATTN:

Superintendent, at 40 Delaware Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14202, All further

information and contact from Erie County will be sent electronically.

I. Any requests for RFP interpretations should be made electronically by December 3,

2025, to Michael.Phillips@erie.gov. No requests for oral interpretations via

telephone or in person will be accepted. A single response to all questions will be

made as outlined in the schedule. No communications of any kind will be binding

against the County, except for the formal written responses to any request for

clarification.

J. This RFP is not intended and shall not be construed to commit the County to pay any

costs incurred in connection with any proposal or to procure or contract with any

firm.

K. Proposers may be required to give an oral presentation to the County to clarify or

elaborate on the written proposal. Those proposers will be notified to arrange

specific times.

L. No proposal will be accepted from nor any agreement awarded to any proposer that

is in arrears upon any debt or in default of any obligation owed to the County.

Additionally, no agreement will be awarded to any proposer that has failed to

satisfactorily perform pursuant to any prior agreement with the County.

Commented [MP1]: Repetitive. Same language captured in O.

M. The Vendor will provide three customer references of accounts similar in size and

scope to the County

N. The County will only contract with firms that do not discriminate against employees

or applicants for employment because of race, creed, color, national origin, sex, age,

disability, marital status, sexual orientation, citizenship status or any other status

protected by New York State and Federal laws.

O. The County reserves the right to amend this RFP. The County reserves the right to

reject any or all of the proposals, or any part thereof, submitted in response to this

RFP, and reserves the right to waive formalities, if such action is deemed to be in the

best interest of the County. The County reserves the right to request additional

information from any proposer. The County reserves the right to award negotiated

contracts to one or more proposers.

4. SCOPE OF WORK

4.1 General Requirements

1. Vendor shall provide a turn-key tablet program for all facilities

2. Vendor shall provide a tablet program that is affordable for users.

3. Vendor shall provide a tablet program that is easy to administer.

4. Vendor shall provide a tablet program that is flexible to accommodate facility-specific

needs.

5. Vendor must provide one tablet for every inmate at both facilities.

6. Vendor should have an automated method of controlling tablet inventory.

7. Vendor should have an automated method allowing inmates to purchase a subscription

and premium content (with no staff involvement).

8. Vendor should allow inmates to subscribe and have a personal tablet with access to

premium content, with his/her name on the lock screen.

9. Vendor should provide an automated method of returning the tablet back into the

community pool of tablets when an inmate is released.

10. Tablets should not retain any specific inmate data or downloads overnight.

4.2 Functional Capabilities

1. Vendor tablets shall be updated wirelessly in real-time.

2. Vendor shall provide tablet warranty and refurbishment to the facility.

3. Vendor shall provide either individual charging units for each tablet or provide each

Housing Unit enough charging carts for safe and secure charging of all the tablets.

4. Vendor-provided charging carts shall be ruggedized for use in the facility.

5. Vendor shall work with commissary company to provide access to order commissary

goods, including Vendor-approved earbuds via the tablet.

6. Vendor shall offer the ability to access legal discovery information via the tablets.

7. Vendor shall offer the ability for video visitation.

8. Vendor inmate tablet shall require an inmate to enter credentials and log in to the tablet

before being able to access applications. The credentials should be the same as those

used to make phone calls.

9. Vendor inmate tablet shall display terms and conditions to users the first time they login or

for subsequent changes to the terms and conditions.

10. Vendor inmate tablet shall provide a configurable option where a tablet that is enabled for

inmate login times out after a period of inactivity.

11. Vendor inmate tablet shall have options to display all or a subset of the following items on

the lock screen display: inmate name, ID number, digital clock, day, month, date, housing

information, agency name, barcode, and unique identifier for the tablet hardware.

4.3 Security Requirements

Vendor shall provide security measures which prevent inmates from unauthorized

internet access.

Vendor shall provide tablets which have been wiped of any residual operating systems.

Vendor shall provide the following security measures to harden the firmware on the

tablets:

• Browser, contacts, calendar, native phone, and messaging clients have been

removed.

• No option for users to change certain settings.

• NFC, Bluetooth and Cellular wireless radio has been disabled, except for Wi-Fi.

• Users cannot install and uninstall apps.

• Authorized apps are pushed to the tablets through an app management process.

• No access to the third-party app stores

Vendor’s wireless network traffic must be routed through the Vendor system with no

exception and provide firewall, transparent proxy, DHCP, DNS and routing services for

the tablets.

Vendor shall provide secure Internet Protocol communications by authenticating and

encrypting each IP packet of a communication session.

4.4 Hardware Requirements

Describe Vendor inmate tablet hardware storage.

Describe Vendor inmate tablet hardware charging options and how these prevent fire

hazards.

This is the opportunity summary page. It provides an overview of this opportunity and a preview of the attached documentation.

Department	Title	Submission Deadline	Additional files
SHERIFFS	INMATE TABLET SERVICES ERIE COUNTY CORRECTIONAL FACILITY AND ERIE COUNTY HOLDING CENTER	Wednesday, December 17, 2025

INMATE TABLET SERVICES ERIE COUNTY CORRECTIONAL FACILITY AND ERIE COUNTY HOLDING CENTER

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