California death row inmates are exploiting state-issued tablets to access pornography and contact minors, raising urgent questions about Governor Gavin Newsom's prison reform programme.
A City Journal investigation published on 13 May 2026 found that condemned prisoners are using taxpayer-funded devices to watch pornographic content, conduct sexually explicit conversations, and in at least one federal case, sexually exploit a child. The exposé centres on a £145 million ($189 million) tablet contract covering nearly 90,000 state prisoners, issued under an initiative the Newsom administration framed as a step toward 'digital equity' for incarcerated individuals. A former senior California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) official told reporters the abuse may involve thousands of child victims.
