Daniel Gwynn Blog Update
Date: 6/7/16
Subject: "I Got Mail"

Tablets are back in stock. I've placed my order for one and it'll be about 2 weeks before I get it. I've been able to receive & send emails without the tablet, but it's been very difficult & time-consuming. I only have 15 minutes to read or type a message on the touchscreen of the Kiosk, which I must operate the system controls through a slot in the cell door. The Kiosk —we call the "Blue-eyed Devil— is wheeled from cell to cell where we are afforded 15 minutes to use it. Then we must wait 30 minutes before we can use it again. With a tablet, I can take my time to compose my message, review for corrections, and type more than one message to send. I can also exchange messages instantly while the tablet is synced to the Kiosk. Don't know how well this works yet. The system still has glitches. Some emails come in a matter of minutes, and others in a matter of days.

The service is like a Post Office, where you can sign up for a P.O. Box from which to send & receive messages. There's no direct email address; you have to visit the P.O. Box in order to send & receive messages. Opening an account costs nothing but you would have to purchase stamps/link units to pay the 25¢ fee to send each message.

If you wish to sign up, go to: connectnetwork.com/portal, click Sign Up to open an account, fill out the registration info (enter PA-DOC) when prompted to select a facility. When your account is set up, you will receive an email to verify your account. You can then log-in and send a message. When drafting your email, it will prompt you to select a facility again; enter PA-DOC.

Some overseas attempts to register have been problematic. The system will not accept your overseas zip code. Try entering 00000 to get around this.

I receive my very first email and it felt great. All of this tech is so new to me, and for someone to go through the trouble to reach out to me through this exploitative service shows that they really care. It gives me hope, and I don't feel so alone. It's beautiful.

I guess this high priced tablet ($155.82) is worth something after all.

Daniel Gwynn