Patent ID: 8243896

Claim:
A method, comprising: performing, by a communication processing system serving an inmate facility, receiving, from a calling party, a selection of a first carrier among a plurality of telecommunication carriers; receiving, from a called party, a selection of a second carrier among the plurality of telecommunication carriers, wherein the second carrier is different from the first carrier, and wherein the calling party or the called party is an inmate within the inmate facility; designating the first carrier as the selected carrier in response to the calling party having financial responsibility for the telephone call, or designating the second carrier as the selected carrier in response to the called party haying financial responsibility for the telephone call; identifying the selected carrier as one that provides services compatible with control and monitoring operations performed by the communication processing system in connection with telephone calls made to or from the inmate facility; and establishing a telephone call between the calling party and the called party, at least in part, through the selected carrier.