Patent ID: 7742581

Claim:
A secure electronic message exchange system comprising: a plurality of composition stations each for allowing a local user to create at least a first message in one of plural input methods, wherein the local user is of or associated with a correctional institution; a multi-function unit for receiving said at least said first message from the plurality of composition stations; a control platform coupled to said multi-function unit via a communications medium for transmitting said at least said first message to a remote user and for receiving a second message from said remote user; wherein said control platform includes one or more apparatuses for monitoring, controlling, converting, and billing related to, correspondence between a plurality of local and remote users, and further wherein at least one of said plurality of composition stations generates said at least said first message from a local user to said remote user, and further wherein said multi-function unit modifies said at least said first message to create a modified message for transmission to said control platform, wherein said multi-function unit sends said modified message to said control platform via said communications medium; and a conversion unit coupled to said control platform, wherein said conversion unit converts said modified message to a converted message, wherein said converted message is sent to a user device associated with said remote user via said control platform, wherein said converted message is scanned by said monitoring apparatus of said control platform to determine if said converted message contains keywords, and wherein said remote user views and reads said converted message in an electronic format on said user device in response to said control platform authenticating a log-in request by said remote user; wherein said second message composed by said remote user is sent to said multi-function unit by said control platform via said communications medium.