Systems and Methods for Transaction and Information Management

Abstract

Systems or methods for managing transactions within a controlled environment facility provide an information management engine integrating transaction functionality for establishing an account associated with a resident of the controlled environment facility, and use the information management engine to conduct transactions associated with residents of the controlled environment facility. The transactions include at least distant deposits into the account by a party outside of the controlled environment facility. The systems or methods accept requests from the resident and facilitate the request for deposit. The systems or methods may place calls to the individuals outside the controlled environment facility or to interact with the individual. During such calls a deposit request may be made and the deposit accepted.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 receiving, by an automated transaction processing system, an indication by a resident of a controlled environment facility that said resident wishes to request a deposit from a party outside said controlled access facility into an account maintained for the benefit of said resident;   verifying, by said automated transaction processing system, identification data for said resident;   obtaining from said resident, by said automated transaction processing system, contact information for the outside party;   communicating, by said automated transaction processing system, said request to said outside party using said contact information;   accepting, by said automated transaction processing system, an indication as to whether said party wishes to make said deposit to said account;   receiving, by said automated transaction processing system, said deposit; and   crediting, by said automated transaction processing system, at least a portion of said deposit to said account.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said contact information is an email address. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein said communicating further comprises emailing said request to said outside at said email address. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3  wherein said email contains a link to a webpage. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4  wherein said accepting further comprises accepting said indication via said webpage and said receiving further comprises processing said deposit via said webpage. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4  wherein said processing further comprises processing payment made by at least one of:
 an online check authorization; 
 a credit card; and 
 an online payment system. 
 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 notifying said resident of said crediting. 
 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7  wherein said notifying further comprises interrupting a phone call placed by said resident to notify the resident of said crediting. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8  wherein said phone call placed by said resident is a first phone call placed by said resident following said crediting. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7  wherein said notifying further comprises calling said resident to provide notification of said crediting. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein said notifying further comprises connecting said outside party with said resident as a part of said notification. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10  wherein said notifying further comprises connecting said outside party with said resident following said notification. 
     
     
         13 . A method comprising:
 receiving by an automated transaction processing system an indication by a resident of a controlled environment facility that said resident wishes to request a deposit from a party outside said controlled access facility into a transaction account maintained by said transaction processing system for said resident;   verifying identification data for said resident;   obtaining from said resident a telephone number of a the outside party;   placing an outbound call by said automated transaction processing system to said outside party; and   communicating said request to said outside party and offering services associated with said automated transaction processing system to said outside party following the communication of said request, during said outbound call.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  wherein said services comprise at least one of:
 establishing a business relationship between a host to said transaction processing system and said outside party when no business relationship between said host to said transaction and said outside party is currently in place; 
 establishing a direct billing account between said host and said outside party; 
 establishing a prepaid account between said host and said outside party; 
 prepaid phone cards for use by said resident; 
 phone minutes for use by said resident; and 
 an exchange of phone related information for at least one of said resident and said outside party. 
 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13  further comprising:
 notifying said resident of crediting of a deposit received from said outside party. 
 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein said notifying further comprises interrupting a phone call placed by said resident to notify the resident of said crediting. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein said phone call placed by said resident is a first phone call placed by said resident following said crediting. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15  wherein said notifying further comprises calling said resident to provide notification of said crediting. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15  wherein said notifying further comprises connecting said outside party with said resident as a part of said notification. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15  wherein said notifying further comprises connecting said outside party with said resident following said notification.