Systems and methods for reducing recidivism among former inmates

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10169739-B1
Application number	US-84284407-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Aug 21, 2007
Priority date	May 3, 2004
Publication date	Jan 1, 2019
Grant date	Jan 1, 2019

Abstract

The present invention provides systems and methods for facilitating the integration of former inmates into society upon release from inmate facilities. A representative embodiment of the present invention allows participating inmates to utilize one or more pre-defined services during their period of incarceration. Utilization of these pre-defined services increases the participant's likelihood of rehabilitation, thus reducing recidivism. Examples of pre-defined services include identification, education, employment, financial, housing, and social connection services. A release package based upon information collected during use of these services also provides a personal dossier that facilitates criminal investigations, parole evaluations, probation determinations, and the like.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for facilitating request and issuance of documentation for an inmate comprising:
creating, by an inmate employment facilitation system, during an inmate's period of incarceration a personal electronic dossier comprising information relevant to said inmate's identification, education, and employment;
configuring an inmate self-service terminal to communicate with the inmate employment facilitation system and to provide the inmate access to the inmate's personal electronic dossier and for the inmate to input information, conduct queries, and obtain information and services;
identifying, by the inmate employment facilitation system, one or more official documents required by the inmate upon release, the one or more official documents corresponding to documentation of the inmate's identification, education, employment, or a combination thereof;

transmitting, by the inmate employment facilitation system, a request for issuance of the one or more official documents to a government agency responsible for issuing the one or more official documents, the inmate employment facilitation system timing transmission of the request for issuance based upon an expected issue time of said one or more official documents and an expected date of release of said inmate, wherein the request for issuance includes at least a portion of information of said personal electronic dossier;
receiving, before the expected date of release of said inmate, said one or more official documents in response to said transmitted request for issuance;
creating, at direction of the inmate self-service terminal, a physical package comprising a copy or original of the one or more official documents; and
providing the physical package to the inmate upon release.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising advising said inmate about which of the one or more official documents that said inmate requires upon release to match said inmate's anticipated needs upon release.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising periodically receiving a status update from said government agency with respect to said transmitted request for issuance.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein timing transmission of the request for issuance is further based upon a time of expiration of said one or more official documents.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
acquiring, during said inmate's period of incarceration, information relevant to said inmate's education; and
storing said information relevant to said inmate's education in said personal electronic dossier.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising advising said inmate of an education opportunity selected to match said inmate's anticipated needs upon release.

7. The method of claim 5 , further comprising verifying said information relevant to said inmate's education with an education information source.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising periodically updating said information relevant to said inmate's education throughout the inmate's period of incarceration.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, during said inmate's period of incarceration, information relevant to said inmate's medical history; and
storing said information relevant to said inmate's medical history in said personal electronic dossier.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising advising said inmate of medical exams selected to match said inmate's anticipated needs upon release.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, during said inmate's period of incarceration, information relevant to said inmate's potential employment;
storing said information relevant to said inmate's potential employment in said personal electronic dossier.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising advising said inmate of employment opportunities selected to match said inmate's anticipated needs upon release.

13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
making at least some of the information stored in said personal electronic dossier available to a potential employer for facilitating a hiring decision with respect to said inmate.

14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
gathering financial information from said inmate during said inmate's period of incarceration;
transmitting a request for a financial account document to a document issuer, wherein said request for the financial account document comprises said gathered financial information; and
receiving the financial account document in response to said transmitted request for the financial account document.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising providing at least a portion of said financial information to a potential employer upon request.

16. The method of claim 14 , further comprising advising said inmate of a financial account selected to match said participating inmate's anticipated needs upon release.

17. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
generating a financial application form using said gathered financial information; and
receiving a status update with respect to said financial application.

18. The method of claim 14 , further comprising advising said inmate of a housing opportunity selected to match said inmate's anticipated needs upon release.

19. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing said inmate with read-only access to a first portion of said personal electronic dossier after release.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the inmate is allowed to update a second portion of said personal electronic dossier after release.

21. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing a third party with access to at least a portion of said personal electronic dossier.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein said third party is selected from the group consisting of: a potential employer, a parole board member, a probation officer, a law enforcement officer, and a criminal investigator.

23. A method for facilitating employment of inmates comprising:
implementing biometrics, by an inmate self-service terminal, to identify a particular inmate, the self-service terminal configured to communicate with an electronic employment database;
providing, by the inmate self-service terminal, said identified inmate a link for populating the electronic employment database with information relevant to employment of said identified inmate, the information entered into the electronic employment database prior to release of said identified inmate from a correctional institution and prior to a meeting between said identified inmate and a potential employer;
providing said identified inmate an employment card upon release from the correctional institution and prior to the meeting between said identified inmate and the potential employer, wherein said employment card contains a description of a tax-credit available for employment of said identified inmate, an identifier of a contact source of an inmate employment facilitation tax processing system, and a database key to perform a database look-up in said electronic employment database to obtain at least some of said information relevant to employment of said identified inmate;
making said at least some of said information relevant to employment of said identified inmate in said electronic employment database available through said contact source, using the database key, to facilitate a hiring decision related to said identified inmate;
receiving, at said inmate employment faci

Assignees

• Keiser Luke
• Cooper Bruce
• Securus Technologies Inc

Inventors

• Keiser Luke
• Cooper Bruce

Classifications

• G06Q10/105 Primary

  Human resources · CPC title