Communication tracking system for correctional facilities
The present disclosure is for a system and a method for tracking physical and digital communication that is sent to an inmate who is incarcerated in a correction facility. The present invention enables a significant reduction in contraband and/or prohibited communication that is sent to inmates, and, at the same time, provides transparency in the communication delivery process such that a sender is appraised as to the status of the communication as it is processed by various systems and sub-systems within a correctional facility. Moreover, the present invention enables the identification and detection of criminal or prohibited communication that would otherwise have been undetected using prior art systems.
1. A computer program product for tracking and compliance monitoring of communication that is sent to an inmate who is incarcerated in a correctional 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:
obtain digital mail data associated with a communication sent to an inmate by a sender;
determine whether the sender is associated with a sender identification;
prompt the sender to register for a mail-tracking system if the sender is not associated with a sender identification, the mail-tracking system enabling the sender to receive updates regarding the communication;
obtain a sender information check, collect sender data, and associate the sender with a sender identification when the sender registers for the mail-tracking system, the sender information provided by the sender to register for the mail-tracking system;
obtain contraband analysis on the communication;
automatically flag the digital mail data if the obtained contraband analysis indicates that the communication is comprised of contraband;
update the mail-tracking system, wherein the sender is enabled to track the status of the communication by logging into the mail-tracking system with credentials associated with the sender identification; and
collect sender data when the sender logs into the mail-tracking system with credentials associated with the sender identification.
2. A computer-implemented method for tracking and compliance monitoring of communication that is sent to an inmate who is incarcerated in a correctional facility, the computer-implemented method comprising:
obtaining digital mail data associated with a communication sent to an inmate by a sender;
determining whether the sender is associated with a sender identification;
providing registration information to the sender if the sender is not associated with a sender identification, wherein the registration information enables a sender to register for a mail-tracking system and receive updates regarding the communication;
obtaining a sender information check when the sender registers for the mail-tracking system, the sender information provided by the sender to register for the mail-tracking system;
collecting sender data when the sender registers for the mail-tracking system;
generating sender identification that is associated with the sender once the sender has registered for the mail-tracking system;
associating the obtained digital mail data with the verified sender identification once it is made available;
obtaining contraband analysis on the communication;
automatically flagging the digital mail data if the obtained contraband analysis indicates that the communication is comprised of contraband;
updating the mail-tracking system, wherein the sender is enabled to track the status of the communication by logging into the mail-tracking system with credentials associated with the sender identification; and
collecting sender data when the sender logs into the mail-tracking system with credentials associated with the sender ID.
3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , wherein digital mail data is comprised of one or more digital files representing physical communication.
4. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , wherein digital mail data is comprised of one or more digital files representing digital communication.
5. The computer-implemented method of claim 3 , wherein physical communication is comprised of communication sent via postal mail.
6. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , further comprising electronically storing digital mail data.
7. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , wherein collecting sender data, when the sender registers for the mail-tracking system, is comprised of collecting an IP address associated with the computing device used by the sender.
8. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , wherein collecting sender data, when the sender registers for the mail-tracking system, is comprised of obtaining location data associated with the computing device used by the sender.
9. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , wherein collecting sender data, when the sender registers for the mail-tracking system, is comprised storing a tracking code on the computing device used by the sender.
10. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , wherein obtaining a sender information check when the sender registers for the mail-tracking system, is comprised of obtaining a local check from an application on the computing device used by the sender, wherein the local check is performed to detect completeness of the sender provided address and to ensure compliance with convention.
11. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , wherein obtaining a sender information check, when the sender registers for the mail-tracking system, is comprised of verifying the sender provided information against information obtained from other databases.
12. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , further comprising obtaining a determination of whether the sender identification associated with the digital mail data is associated with sending contraband to an inmate.
13. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , further comprising analyzing the content of the digital mail data.
14. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , further comprising identifying repetition or a pattern or both in communication from the sender to one or more inmates, the repetition or pattern or both indicating that the communication is comprised of impermissible or criminal communication or both.
15. The computer-implemented method of claim 13 , wherein contraband analysis is further comprised of identifying certain keywords in the content of the communication between the sender and the inmate.
16. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , further comprising: identifying relationships between senders and inmates, the relationships selected from the group consisting of based on communications patterns among various senders and inmates, collected sender data that is collected when the sender registers, collected sender data that is collected when the sender logs into the mail-tracking system with credentials associated with the sender identification, and combinations thereof.
17. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , wherein the mail-tracking system is updated when the digital mail data is made available to the inmate.
18. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , wherein the sender is notified when the digital mail data representing communication sent by the sender is made available to the inmate.