Voice message exchange
Disclosed is a voice message exchange system and method for improving communication between an inmate and a third party by enabling the inmate to leave a message when a call is not answered and further allowing the third party who receives the message to reply with a message to the inmate. Additionally, outside parties that meet the institution's requirements can leave messages for inmates at any time. The present invention can be used as an add-on to legacy inmate call management systems or incorporated internally into an inmate call management system. The system also provides monitoring, controlling, recording, and billing means.
1. A computer implemented method for providing message communication between an inmate of a secured premises and an outside party, the method comprising:
receiving a telephone call from the outside party;
authenticating the outside party during the telephone call;
recording, after the outside party has been authenticated, an incoming audio message of the outside party designated for the inmate;
notifying the inmate of the recorded incoming audio message;
authenticating the inmate;
providing access to a personal account by the authenticated inmate;
playing back the recorded incoming audio message for the authenticated inmate;
recording an outgoing audio message by the authenticated inmate designated for the outside party;
determining whether the outside party has an account;
accessing the account of the outside party in response to determining that the outside party has the account; and
upon a determination that the outside party does not have the account:
issuing a series of prompts to the outside party;
creating the account based on responses to the series of prompts; and
accessing the created account of the outside party;
notifying the outside party of the recorded outgoing audio message, the notifying of the outside party including:
placing a call to the outside party; and
prompting the outside party to accept or reject the recorded outgoing audio message; and
upon the outside party rejecting the recorded outgoing message:
prompting the outside party whether to block calls from the inmate;
terminating the call with the outside party;
deleting the recorded outgoing audio message; and
notifying the inmate of the rejection and whether the outside party has requested that calls from the inmate be blocked.
2. The computer implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the notifying includes printing a physical notification for delivery to the inmate.
3. The computer implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the notifying includes transmitting an electronic notification to a device associated with the inmate.
4. The computer implemented method of claim 3 , wherein the device is configured for wireless communication, and
wherein the electronic notification is wirelessly transmitted to the device.
5. The computer implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising, upon the outside party accepting the outgoing message:
playing back the recorded outgoing audio message.
6. A system for providing message communication between an inmate of a secured premises and an outside party, the system comprising:
a site platform configured to:
receive a telephone call from the outside party;
determine whether the outside party has an account;
access the account of the outside party in response to determining that the outside party has the account;
upon a determination that the outside party does not have the account:
issue a series of prompts to the outside party;
create the account based on responses to the series of prompts; and
access the created account of the outside party,
authenticate the outside party during the telephone call;
record, after the outside party has been authenticated, an incoming audio message of the outside party designated for the inmate;
notify the inmate of the recorded incoming audio message;
authenticate the inmate;
provide access to a personal account by the authenticated inmate;
play back the recorded incoming audio message for the authenticated inmate;
record an outgoing audio message by the authenticated inmate designated for the outside party;
notify the outside party of the recorded outgoing audio message by:
placing a call to the outside party; and
prompting the outside party to accept or reject the recorded outgoing audio message; and
upon the outside party rejecting the recorded outgoing message:
prompt the outside party whether to block calls from the inmate;
terminate the call with the outside party;
delete the recorded outgoing audio message; and
notify the inmate of the rejection and whether the outside party has requested that calls from the inmate be blocked.
7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the site platform is configured to perform the notifying by printing a physical notification for delivery to the inmate.
8. The system of claim 6 , wherein the site platform is configured to perform the notifying by transmitting an electronic notification to a device associated with the inmate.
9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the device is configured for wireless communication, and
wherein the site platform is configured to wirelessly transmit the notification to the device.
10. The system of claim 6 , wherein the site platform is further configured to:
upon the outside party accepting the outgoing message, playing back the recorded outgoing audio message.
11. The computer implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising performing a content review of the recorded incoming audio message.
12. The computer implemented method of claim 11 , wherein the content review includes an automated content check performed by a hardware processor and a manual content check performed by an administrator after the recorded incoming audio message fails the automated content check.
13. The computer implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising converting the recorded incoming audio message to text,
wherein the notifying of the inmate of the recorded incoming audio message includes forwarding the text-converted message to the inmate.
14. The computer implemented method of claim 13 , wherein the forwarding includes wirelessly transmitting the text-converted message to a wireless-enabled device associated with the inmate.
15. The computer implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising performing a text search of the recorded incoming audio message.
16. The computer implemented method of claim 15 , further comprising converting the recorded incoming audio message to text,
wherein the text search is performed on the text-converted message.