Patent ID: 8509390

Claim:
A portal system for providing a user, located externally to a correctional facility system, with access to a plurality of services, the portal system comprising: one or more network interfaces accessible from a network that couples the one or more network interfaces to a correctional facility system, wherein the correctional facility system comprises one or more correctional facilities; one or more repositories to retain: information about a plurality of inmates; and criteria specified by the correctional facility system, the criteria comprising information corresponding to persons approved for using the portal system; and one or more processors coupled to at least one of the one or more network interfaces and to at least one of the one or more repositories, the one or more processors to execute instructions to: receive identification information through at least one of the one or more network interfaces, the identification information being from a user at a first location that is external to the correctional facility system; authenticate the user with a first set of criteria specified by the correctional facility system; process an indication of an inmate, the indication derived from the user, wherein the inmate is at a second location; present the user with one or more service options, the one or more service options corresponding to a plurality of services facilitated by the portal system, wherein the presenting the user with the one or more service options is a function of one or more of the identification information, the first set of criteria, and/or the indication of the inmate; receive a selection from the user, indicative of at least one of the one or more service options; and present the user with information corresponding to the selection.