System for monitoring offender during correctional supervisory program

• US 9,990,826 B1
• Filed: 12/07/2016
• Issued: 06/05/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Global Tel-Link Corporation
• Original Assignee: Global Tel-Link Corporation
• Inventors: Hodge, Stephen Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): Lu, Shirley
• Application Number:
  US15/371,525
• Publication Number:
  US 20180158304A1
• Time in Patent Office: 545 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/22 responsive to presence or absence of persons

Abstract

The present disclosure provides details of a system for monitoring an offender during a correctional supervisory program. The system includes an offender communication device that transmit and receive communications via a communication and monitoring center. The offender communication device include a smart phone or tablet that obtains identity information including biometric information from an offender before a communication is transmitted or received. The offender communication device also stores data including metadata, metrics, or content of a communication and transmits the stored data to the communication and monitoring center. The communication and monitoring center transmits and receives communications from the offender communication device and another communication device. Further, the communication and monitoring center provides monitoring functionality to record a communication and determine that a location of an offender is in an authorized location based on rules and requirements of the correctional supervisory program.

Claims

1. A monitoring system for remotely monitoring an offender in a correctional supervisory program, the monitoring system comprising:

a first communication device associated with the offender, wherein the first communication device is configured to request to communicate with a second communication device; and

a communication center comprising an identity server, a location server, and a communication server, wherein the identity server, the location server, the communication server, and the first and second communication devices are connected over a network, wherein the communication center is configured to recognize the request to communicate;

wherein the identity server is configured to;

store identity data of the offender and one or more individuals authorized to associate with the offender;

request identity information from the first communication device associated with the offender and the second communication device associated with an individual authorized to associate with the offender; and

perform an identity verification by verifying the identity information with the stored identity data to authenticate that a user of the first communication device is the offender and that a user of the second communication device is the individual authorized to associate with the offender;

wherein the location server is configured to;

store location data indicating a geographic area for the first communication device associated with the offender to be located within for communication as required by the correctional supervisory program;

receive first location information indicating a current or past geographic location of the offender; and

perform a location verification by verifying the first location information with the stored location data; and

wherein the communication server is configured to;

connect the first and second communication devices together for real-time communication over the network based on a result of the identity verification and a result of the location verification;

receive and transmit communications between the first and second communication devices over the network; and

determine whether contents of the communications between the first and second communication devices follow requirements of the correctional supervisory program.

2. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the location server is further configured to receive the first location information from the first communication device over the network.

3. The monitoring system of claim 2, further comprising a tracking device,

wherein the location server is further configured to:

receive second location information from the tracking device worn by the offender; and

corroborate the current or past geographic location of the offender based on a verification of the first location information and the second location information.

4. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the location server is further configured to receive the first location information from a tracking device worn by the offender.

5. The monitoring system of claim 1, further comprising a monitoring server configured to record the contents of the communications between the first and second communication devices.

6. The monitoring system of claim 5, wherein the monitoring server is further configured to determine whether to record some or all of the contents of the communications based on a result of the identity verification, a type of the communication, or the requirements of the correctional supervisory program.

7. The monitoring system of claim 5, wherein the monitoring server is further configured to transmit, to the first communication device over the network, a command to record the contents of the communications.

8. The monitoring system of claim 7, wherein the monitoring server is further configured to transmit, to the first communication device over the network, instructions for receiving recorded contents of the communications.

9. The monitoring system of claim 5, wherein the monitoring server is further configured to:

transmit a request to perform a random monitoring process to the first communication device; and

receive data regarding a result of the request from the first communication device over the network.

10. The monitoring system of claim 9, wherein the request to perform a random monitoring process comprises a request for location information or a request for a current audio, image, or video sample from the first communication device.

11. An apparatus for remotely monitoring an offender, the apparatus comprising:

a communication center comprising an identity server, a location server, and a communication server, wherein the identity server, the location server, the communication server, and first and second communication devices are connected over a network, wherein the communication center is configured to;

communicate with the first communication device associated with the offender; and

recognize a request from the first communication device to communicate with the second communication device,

wherein the identity server is configured to;

store identity data of the offender and one or more individuals authorized to associate with the offender;

request identity information from the first communication device associated with the offender and the second communication device associated with an individual authorized to associate with the offender; and

perform an identity verification by verifying the identity information with the stored identity data to authenticate that a user of the first communication device is the offender and that a user of the second communication device is the individual authorized to associate with the offender;

wherein the location server is configured to;

store location data indicating a required geographic area for the first communication device associated with the offender to be located within in order for the offender to communicate with an authorized individual as required by a correctional supervisory program; and

wherein the communication server is configured to;

connect the first and second communication devices together for real-time communication over the network based on a result of the identity verification and a result of the location verification;

receive and transmit communications between the first and second communication devices over the network; and

determine whether contents of the communications between the first and second communication devices follow requirements of the correctional supervisory program.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the location server is further configured to:

receive first location information from the first communication device over the network; and

monitor a location of the offender based on the first location information.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising:

a tracking device worn by the offender and configured to track a location of the offender,

wherein the location server is further configured to;

receive second location information from the tracking device over the network; and

authenticate a current or past geographic location of the offender based on a verification of the first location information and the second location information.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a monitoring server configured to monitor the of the communications between the first and second communication devices.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the monitoring server is further configured to determine whether to monitor some or all of the contents of the communications based on a result of the identity verification, a type of the communication, or the requirements of the correctional supervisory program.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the monitoring server is further configured to transmit, to the first communication device over the network, a first command to record the contents of the communications.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the monitoring server is further configured to transmit, to the first communication device over the network, a second command for transmitting recorded content.

18. A method of remotely monitoring an offender in a correctional supervisory program, the method comprising:

transmitting, by a first communication device associated with the offender, a request to communicate with a second communication device over a network;

recognizing, by a communication center, the request to communicate, wherein the communication center further comprises an identity server, a location server, and a communication server, and wherein the identity server, the location server, the communication server, and the first and second communication devices are connected over the network;

storing, by the identity server, identity data of the offender and one or more individuals authorized to associate with the offender;

requesting, by the identity server, identity information from the first communication device associated with the offender and the second communication device associated with an individual authorized to associate with the offender; and

performing, by the identity server, an identity verification by verifying the identity information with the stored identity data to authenticate that a user of the first communication device is the offender and that a user of the second communication device is the individual authorized to associate with the offender;

storing, by the location server, location data indicating a geographic area for the first communication device associated with the offender to be located within for communication as required by the correctional supervisory program;

receiving, by the location server, first location information indicating a current or past geographic location of the offender;

performing, by the location server, a location verification by verifying the first location information with the stored location data;

connecting, by the communication server, the first and second communication devices together for real-time communication over the network based on a result of the identity verification and a result of the location verification;

receiving and transmitting communications between the first and second communication devices over the network by the communication server; and

determining, by the communication server, whether contents of the communications between the first and second communication devices follow requirements of the correctional supervisory program.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

determining, by the monitoring server, whether to record some or all of the contents of the communications based on a result of the identity verification, a type of the communication, or the requirements of the correctional supervisory program.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

transmitting, to the first communication device over the network, a command from the monitoring server to record the contents of the communications.