Correctional postal mail contraband elimination system

Abstract

A method and system for eliminating contraband in postal mail at a correctional facility comprising a central processing facility and a network of inmate email kiosks and correctional institution staff review stations. The postal mail utilizes scanning stations to create electronic versions of the mail and associates various information about the sender, recipient, mail contents, and institution into a format that is easily reviewable and provides tracking data. The scanned mail may then be made available to the intended inmate and institution staff. Institution staff may also then access the associated information and tracking data.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer program product for processing communication that is sent to an inmate at a corrections facility, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having instructions encoded thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:
 receive a digital representation of postal mail that is sent to an inmate at a corrections facility;   store the digital representation of the postal mail in a database;   receive an identification of the inmate who is an intended recipient of the postal mail;   identify an inmate postal mail account associated with the identified inmate and an inmate identifier associated with the identified inmate;   flag, within the database, the digital representation of the postal mail if a flag is applicable to at least one of the digital representation of the postal mail and the postal mail;   associate, within the database, the digital representation of the postal mail with the identified inmate postal mail account, the identified inmate identifier, and the one or more flags that are applicable to the digital representation of the postal mail; and   transmit the digital representation of the postal mail to the identified inmate postal mail account.   
     
     
         2 . The computer program product of  claim 1 , wherein the digital representation of the postal mail to an inmate is comprised of a digital image of contents of the postal mail. 
     
     
         3 . The computer program product of  claim 2 , wherein the digital representation of the postal mail to an inmate is further comprised of a digital image of envelope that is used to enclose the contents of the postal mail. 
     
     
         4 . The computer program product of  claim 1 , wherein the digital representation of the postal mail to an inmate is comprised of a text-readable digital data representing contents of the postal mail. 
     
     
         5 . The computer program product of  claim 1 , wherein receiving inmate identification is further comprised of receiving the first and last name of the inmate who is the intended recipient of the postal mail. 
     
     
         6 . The computer program product of  claim 1 , wherein receiving inmate identification is further comprised of receiving text-readable data that is extracted from an envelope that is used to enclose contents of the postal mail and automatically identifying the first and last name of the recipient inmate based on received text-readable data. 
     
     
         7 . The computer program product of  claim 1 , wherein the identified inmate postal mail account is identified by referencing a directory. 
     
     
         8 . The computer program product of  claim 1 , wherein a flag comprises a contraband flag indicating that at least one of the digital representation of the postal mail and the postal mail includes contraband. 
     
     
         9 . The computer program product of  claim 1 , wherein a flag comprises a return to sender flag indicating that at least one of the recipient name, the recipient identifier, and the identified inmate postal mail account is absent from the directory. 
     
     
         10 . The computer program product of  claim 1 , wherein the inmate identifier is provided by staff, and the processor identifies the inmate postal mail account associated with the identified inmate based on the obtained identifier. 
     
     
         11 . The computer program product of  claim 1 , wherein a flag is received from a corrections facility computing device, wherein the flag is generated by staff based on their review of at least one of the postal mail and the digital representation of the postal mail. 
     
     
         12 . The computer program product of  claim 11 , wherein the flag is set by the staff using predefined categories. 
     
     
         13 . The computer program product of  claim 1 , wherein a flag is generated automatically based on an analysis of the postal mail. 
     
     
         14 . The computer program product of  claim 13 , wherein a flag is generated automatically based on at least one of information that is extracted from an envelope that is used to enclose contents of the postal mail, and an analysis of text-readable information in digital representation of the postal mail. 
     
     
         15 . The computer program product of  claim 1 , wherein the flag is generated automatically based on analysis of at least one of the postal mail, the digital representation of the postal mail, and metadata associated with the digital representation of the postal mail. 
     
     
         16 . The computer program product of  claim 15 , wherein the flag is generated automatically based on at least one of identification of a sender of the postal mail in a predefined list, identification of location associated with the postal mail in a predefined list, and identification of keywords in the digital representation of the postal mail. 
     
     
         17 . The computer program product of  claim 1 , wherein a flag is generated if the postal mail includes at least one of: pornography, dangerous objects, criminal communication, attorney-client privileged communication, and a magazine. 
     
     
         18 . The computer program product of  claim 1 , further comprising instructions that cause the processor to: assign a unique identifier, within the database, to the digital representation of the postal mail. 
     
     
         19 . The computer program product of  claim 1 , further comprising instructions that cause the processor to: receive a notification that the digital representation of the postal mail is viewed by an inmate. 
     
     
         20 . The computer program product of  claim 17 , further comprising instructions that cause the processor to: update that the database when a viewed notification is received. 
     
     
         21 . The computer program product of  claim 1 , further comprising an email account associated with the identified inmate, the email account capable of receiving email that is addressed to the inmate. 
     
     
         22 . The computer program product of  claim 21 , wherein content available on at least one of the postal mail account and email account is viewable on a computer terminal display that is accessible to the inmate. 
     
     
         23 . The computer program product of  claim 22 , wherein the computer terminal is comprised of at least one of a kiosk and a wireless mobile device. 
     
     
         24 . A system for processing postal mail that is sent to an inmate at a corrections facility, the system comprising: one or more processors; and one or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media coupled to one or more of the processors and comprising instructions operable when executed by one or more of the processors to cause the system to:
 receive a digital representation of postal mail that is sent to an inmate at a corrections facility;   store the digital representation of the postal mail in a database;   receive an identification of the inmate who is an intended recipient of the postal mail;   identify an inmate postal mail account associated with the identified inmate and an inmate identifier associated with the identified inmate;   flag, within the database, the digital representation of the postal mail if a flag is applicable to at least one of the digital representation of the postal mail and the postal mail;   associate, within the database, the digital representation of the postal mail with the identified inmate postal mail account, the identified inmate identifier, and the one or more flags that are applicable to the digital representation of the postal mail; and   transmit the digital representation of the postal mail to the identified inmate account.   
     
     
         25 . A computer-implemented method for processing postal mail that is sent to an inmate at a corrections facility, the method comprising, by one or more computing devices:
 receiving a digital representation of postal mail that is sent to an inmate at a corrections facility;   storing the digital representation of the postal mail in a database;   receiving an identification of the inmate who is an intended recipient of the postal mail;   identifying an inmate postal mail account associated with the identified inmate and an inmate identifier associated with the identified inmate;   flagging the digital representation of the postal mail if a flag is applicable to at least one of the digital representation of the postal mail and the postal mail;   associating the digital representation of the postal mail with the identified inmate postal mail account, the identified inmate identifier, and the one or more flags that are applicable to the digital representation of the postal mail; and   transmitting the digital representation of the postal mail to the identified inmate postal mail account.   
     
     
         26 . A computer-implemented method for inmate communication at a correctional facility, the method comprising:
 receiving at least one of an email and a digital representation of a postal mail for an inmate at a corrections facility;   identifying an inmate email account comprising of at least one of email account associated with the inmate and an inmate postal mail account;   receiving an indication of whether a flag is applicable to at least one of the received email, the received digital representation of the postal mail, and postal mail;   if a digital representation of postal mail is received, associating the digital representation of the postal mail with at least one of the inmate postal mail account, the inmate identifier, and one or more flags that are applicable to the digital representation of the postal mail; and   transmitting the digital representation of the postal mail to the corrections facility for electronic review by the inmate on a computer terminal that is capable of displaying data associated with the inmate email account.