Eleven years ago, we posted The Risks Of WiFi Deployment In Prisons outlining the security risks and operational challenges of deploying WiFi in prisons to support the connectivity needs of inmate devices. It was written in response to Global Tel*Link (now ViaPath) first announcing it would be offering inmate tablets.

After laying out detailed security and operational hurdles of inmate WiFi access, we concluded, “It is clear that achieving adequate WiFi signal coverage and application data throughput at a reasonable cost of installation is a challenge in this unique environment. Ongoing equipment maintenance expense as well as repair cost due to vandalism must also be considered when looking at the total cost of this approach.

In contrast, as evidenced by the high number of contraband devices and continued use of smuggled cell phones in jails and prisons globally, cellular signal strength and coverage is typically more than adequate, with no onsite equipment required.

Additionally, 4G LTE (and soon 5G) cellular may be much faster than a WiFi network with an undersized or overburdened connection to the Internet (designed for coverage versus designed for capacity).”

With the recent launch of Securus Technologies’ new inmate tablets utilizing a nationwide cellular network, their press release confirms our 11 year old analysis and assertions regarding the operational inadequacy and security risks of deploying WiFi in prisons.

From the press release:

“Because of the complex implementation requirements in corrections settings, deploying tablet technology can take months, quarters, even years to fully implement, but the infrastructure with our new tablet technology allows for quicker and cost-effective deployment”

“Currently, tablets rely on a complex, on-site setup to connect to cloud-based services, which is costly and time-consuming. EVOTAB and Officer T80 tablets directly connect to a cloud platform using a secure cellular network, which is faster, more secure, and less hardware intensive.”

Better late than never I suppose…

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meshDETECT® is pleased to announce that it has been granted a sixth wireless blockchain patent from the United States Patent and Trademark Office for U.S. Patent 11,956,383 entitled “Systems and Methods For Blockchain Wireless Services In a Controlled Environment.” This is our twelfth patent granted overall.

The claims in our latest blockchain patent are directed toward a multi-blockchain system to secure, manage, and validate forensic data in controlled environments such as prisons and jails

Digital Forensics

Digital forensics deals with legal evidence left in computers, devices, and digital recording media. This is a procedure and method for legally identifying and demonstrating the facts of a specific activity that occurred using a digital device.

Effective and reliable digital-evidence management systems require non-repudiation, i.e. cryptographic proof that an action regarding forensic data either occurred or did not occur. For instance who accessed information, when, was data altered and if so, how.

Inmate Digital Data Grows

With the wide spread adoption of digital devices such as tablets for use by inmates, the risk of misuse, financial fraud, external party harassment, etc. has grown exponentially.

The evidence of these incidents is essential to prison and police investigations because it illustrates the facts of the cyber-crime and connects inmates to their criminal activities. Therefore, it is crucial to handle the gathered evidence carefully to ensure that it is admissible to police investigations and court trials as well as to prevent tampering or misconduct.

Leveraging the blockchain in a corrections environment provides the inherent capability for insuring the transparency, immutability, and auditability of forensic evidence. However, there are security and privacy risks in using the same blockchain for inmate transactions as for forensic evidence storage, management, and use.

Inmate Data Forensics

Our patent claims a system with at multiple blockchains in a controlled environment. The blockchains are interconnected and networked but segregated.

There are a number of user nodes, each node with selected permission levels to submit and retrieve forensic data and at least one administrative blockchain node that communicates and coordinates the formatting of data, the submission of data, and the retrieval of data from the blockchains.

There is the ability to create and manage smart contracts that regulate creation, access, and modification of data; as well as the rules, settings, and permissions relating to blockchain data, interaction, security, and access.

Through this multi-blockchain system approach, independent but interconnected blockchains can have different security, privacy and access models to handle the forensic data associated with criminal evidence, as well as inmate medical records, financial records, complaints, legal case data, blockchain wallet use, and keys.

Our five previous blockchain patents can be found at US10,694,032, US10,855,838, US11,140,263, US11,425,244 and US11,689,658.

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meshDETECT® is pleased to announce that it has been granted a fourth wireless blockchain patent from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for U.S. Patent 11,425,244 entitled “Systems and Methods For Blockchain Wireless Services In a Controlled Environment.” This is our ninth patent granted overall.

The claims in this latest patent are directed toward:

Prison facility managed custodial, hosted, and DEX based blockchain wallets, which can use sub-wallets and custom tokens for unique services such as commissary, voice and video communications, physical and digital assets, and access to specific applications.

Deploying various address formats in a blockchain network wherein the different address formats have different permissions with the intent of preventing inmate wireless communication devices associated with certain types of address formats from creating transactions with recipients with one of the same and a different type of address in directional transactions, as well as validating certain transactions and having certain transactions created considered valid.

Providing decentralized applications to enable payment for calls, commissary purchases and rentals, and media access via a smart contract that verifies permissions to engage in the calls, commissary purchases and rentals, and media access.

This latest patent protects the intellectual property necessary to enhance inmate wallet functionality, improve transaction security, and expand services rental and payment functionality via smart contracts, dAPPs and custom tokens.

Our previous three blockchain patents can be found at US10,694,032, US10,855,838, and US11,140,263.

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meshDETECT® is pleased to announce that it has recently received a notice of allowance for our third wireless blockchain patent from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for U.S. Patent Application Number 16/953,676 entitled “Systems and Methods For Blockchain Wireless Services In a Controlled Environment.”

A notice of allowance from the United States Patent and Trademark Office is a written notification that a patent application has cleared internal review and is pending issuance.

The claims in this latest patent are directed toward:

• Implementing and managing an inmate-specific smart contract containing granted permissions and rights. The smart contract describes the granted permissions and rights of the inmate and metadata associated with the inmate and the smart contract is used to monitor, track, and record permission usage by the inmate as well as inmate transactions via the blockchain network.
• A system for inmate metadata analysis and the creation of an inmate-specific contract in a blockchain network to monitor, manage and reward the behavior of an inmate. Based on inmate behavior, permissions and rights of the inmate are enhanced or removed via the inmate-specific smart contract.
• Use of the blockchain for inmate management including certification and electronic verification of forms, records, and data requiring action by an inmate. The inmate-specific smart contract is updated in response to completion and verification of the updated forms, records and data.
• A system for providing commissary and virtual asset access privileges to inmates via use of an access token as payment for or as proof of a right by the inmate to consume, view, and listen to physical assets and virtual assets. These virtual assets can be an eBook, an audio file, a software application, a video file, and voice and video call usage minutes.
• A means for inmates to use shared mobile devices to access the blockchain, including the access to individual wallets containing the inmate’s tokens and the inmate-specific smart contract.

Our first two blockchain patents tied together the previously discreet domains of prison commissary providers, correctional banking systems, and the inmate communications services providers.

This latest patent protects the intellectual property necessary to leverage distributed ledger technology to now integrate jail management systems (JMS) data and functionality across these three domains via a shared and common blockchain combined with inmate-specific smart contracts.

Update (10/5/21): The patent (US11,140,263) was issued today by the United States Patent Office. You can view the patent here: Eighth meshDETECT patent

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This seventh patent expands our Secure Prison Cell Phone Solutions™ intellectual property portfolio and further expands our position as the prime innovator  in the prison mobile device space by leveraging the security, efficiency and decentralization offered by blockchain technology.

The claims in this latest patent are directed toward managing commissary transactions using blockchain and smart contracts, for token management supported by a blockchain and for the enforcement of regulations in a controlled environment. This patent adds to the intellectual property foundation of Aisto®, our new blockchain powered inmate mobile device solution.

In general, there are quite a few benefits for the financial services industry to be achieved by using distributed ledger technologies (blockchain). This is also true for the financial systems used by detainees in correctional facilities to purchase services such as voice and video calls as well as goods offered in the commissary. Blockchain can address many of the problems currently experienced by inmates, their families and prison administrators using the current prison “banking systems.”

Banking systems used in prisons and correctional facilities have very little accountability. The lack of transparency excludes prison officials from seeing how inmates use their money outside the commissary. This lack of visibility also keeps all parties from becoming aware of discrepancies that may occur when funds are transferred, taken, or stolen.

Blockchain provides increased transparency among parties and as such improved reporting and monitoring by prison administration. Another key feature of blockchain is that any data recorded is immutable. Any data that is recorded on a blockchain can be tracked in real-time, leaving a very detailed audit trail. As such, it eliminates error handling and reconciliation, while providing the means to enforce rules and identifying and acting on policy violations.

The most commonly heard complaints about existing correctional prison financial networks are their lack of efficiency and lengthy delays when transferring funds into inmates’ accounts. Even when credit and debit cards are used to complete transactions, it can take hours or even days before the inmate has access to the funds. The account funding steps involved in using Green Dot cards are time consuming. Green Dot cards, for example, involve purchasing an actual card at a store. Money is placed on the card and then transferred into the inmate’s commissary account. Not only does each transaction (bank deposits / transfers and withdrawals) require a fee, there is also a fee every time the card is “reloaded.”

With Blockchain, settlements become user-optimised, which will save a significant amount of time and money, for both parties involved. Blockchain will remove the impact of processing friction and cost, as transactions settle instantly. The power of eliminating intermediaries is the ability to lower transaction costs and take back control from powerful financial intermediaries. Inmates and their families will benefit enormously as a result.

Combined with smart contracts, a self-executing contract containing the terms and conditions between the parties to the transactions, to regulate and execute inmate transactions extends the blockchain’s utility from simply record keeping to automatically implementing terms of multi-party agreements. An example would be the terms, rules, cost and scheduling of a video call between an inmate and his family.

With a shared database running a blockchain, the smart contracts are executed based on matching of terms and are validated by other parties instantaneously and without the need of an intermediary. This technology can enforce rules, regulations and ensure compliance while facilitating friction-less transactions.

Brian Byrne, Managing Partner of meshIP, LLC commented, “With this seventh patent, we continue to leverage the blockchain to create an integrated, end-to-end, blockchain powered services and financial system within correctional facilities. Combined with our first blockchain patent, this latest patent protects the intellectual property necessary to tie together the previously discreet domains of prison commissary providers, correctional banking systems, and the inmate communications services providers.”

Update (12/1/20): The patent (US10,855,838) was issued today by the United States Patent Office. You can view the patent here: Seventh meshDETECT patent

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meshDETECT® is pleased to announce that it has recently received a notice of allowance from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for U.S. Patent Application Number US16/386,248 entitled “System and method for controlling, monitoring and recording of wireless telecommunications services in penal institutions.” This is our sixth patent overall and the fifth in this family of patents.

A notice of allowance from the United States Patent and Trademark Office is a written notification that a patent application has cleared internal review and is pending issuance.

This sixth patent, combined with our recently allowed blockchain patent, further expands our Secure Prison Cell Phone Solutions™ intellectual property portfolio and further solidifies our position as the prime innovator in the prison mobile device space. The claims in this latest patent are directed toward expanding the use and functionality of an inmate mobile communications device as well as the network systems that support its deployment and functionality.

The control systems of mobile devices used in correctional facilities are currently focused on the monitoring and recording of inmate usage and application access. However, these devices can be used to monitor more than just the individual activity and communication of the inmate in possession of the device. The devices themselves can be used to monitor the broader correctional facility environment and its detainees. This new functionality provides unique security, safety and investigative capabilities to the administrative personnel of prisons and jails.

Brian Byrne, Managing Partner of meshIP, LLC commented, “With this sixth patent, we now have intellectual property which covers six key aspects of secure wireless inmate communication systems – system, application, device management, device security, blockchain enabled wireless service and now investigative environmental monitoring. We are the only inmate communications services company with the intellectual property portfolio protecting these six core elements of the now mainstream inmate mobile device market.”

Update: The patent (US10,764,757) was issued on September 1, 2020 by the United States Patent Office. You can view the patent here: Sixth meshDETECT patent.

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meshDETECT® is pleased to announce that it has recently received a notice of allowance from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for U.S. Patent Application Number 16/517620 entitled “Systems and Methods For Blockchain Wireless Services In a Controlled Environment.”

A notice of allowance from the United States Patent and Trademark Office is a written notification that a patent application has cleared internal review and is pending issuance.

This fifth patent expands our Secure Prison Cell Phone Solutions™ intellectual property portfolio and further solidifies our position as the prime innovator in the prison mobile device space by leveraging the security, efficiency and decentralization offered by blockchain technology. The claims in this latest patent are directed toward voice and video call validation, decentralized voice and video call recording, and smart contract enabled inmate financial transactions. This patent is the intellectual property foundation of Aisto®, our new blockchain powered inmate mobile device solution.

In the traditional telecommunications systems of correctional facilities, the administrative costs involved in call and video recording as well as associated metadata are limited by the number of communication kiosks in the prison. This number is typically small and therefore makes it reasonable to maintain such administration via a single conventional, centralized computing center, whether located on-site in the correctional facility or in a remote site. However, as the number of these telecommunication devices and the complexity of the system increases with the introduction of mobile devices, such as tablets, to prisoners, the cost and complexity involved in capturing recordings, metadata and monitoring permissions increases significantly.

Blockchain technology deployment in a multi-path wireless network can apportion the requirements of a telecommunication system across many distributed nodes. Blockchain will therefore the reduce the burden on the processing, network, and storage systems of a correctional facility. By enabling the mobile devices within a prison as blockchain and multi-path wireless network nodes, not only can much of the computing requirements be offloaded from a facility’s centralized systems, but the facility can safely and securely maintain the same control and oversight as previously available.

Transaction record-keeping, recording and regulation of inmate device use may be distributed, with security and computing power increasing as a system grows. By implementing a blockchain ledger among mobile nodes via a mesh network in the closed system of a correctional facility, not only is the computing power and network access distributed across these nodes, but the control and records of any transactions within a system may also be distributed and replicated. This structure promotes redundancies and fail safe options not previously available in the traditional centralized architecture.

A distributed blockchain system creates a more permanent and unalterable record than a single database could, while allowing more nodes to function simultaneously. Distributed systems promoted by blockchain technology combined with mesh networking provide correctional facilities the potential to distribute management of the system by giving the nodes the ability to regulate themselves anonymously from each other but transparently to those administering the correctional facility. Not only can more devices be supported, but they can be supported with fewer resources, enhanced redundancy, and increased security.

Blockchain may also reduce the costs of running a secure network, which is important in publicly funded institutions such as correctional facilities. Because blockchain verifies trustworthiness, a centralized server does not need to handle this task. The friction of transactions is reduced, promoting cost and time savings. Key benefits of this system include providing for the wireless communication device to record a voice or video session instead of at the central database, allowing inmates and their families to schedule and pay for voice and video calls via a smart contract, as well as allowing nodes on the network to validate and control permissions, rules and transactions.

Brian Byrne, Managing Partner of meshIP, LLC commented, “With this fifth patent, we leverage the blockchain to enhance the key benefits and mitigate the major challenges of the growing role of mobile devices in correctional environments. There continue to be many industry announcements regarding inmate tablet deployments in prisons and jails, but we believe we are the first and only inmate communications services company innovating on the blockchain to secure and manage these inmate mobile devices. This patent is an important addition to our existing intellectual property which covers the four essential pillars of secure wireless inmate device deployment and management – system, application, device management and device security”

Update (6/24/20): The patent (US10,694,032) was issued yesterday by the United States Patent Office. You can view the patent here: Fifth meshDETECT patent

Update (12/15/20): meshDETECT was awarded its second blockchain patent and seventh patent overall on 12/1/20

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meshDETECT® is pleased to announce that it has recently received a notice of allowance from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for U.S. Patent Application Number 15/700,144 entitled “System and method for controlling, monitoring and recording of wireless telecommunications services in penal institutions.”

A notice of allowance from the United States Patent and Trademark Office is a written notification that a patent application has cleared internal review and is pending issuance.

This fourth patent further expands our Secure Prison Cell Phone Solutions™ intellectual property portfolio and solidifies our position as the prime innovator in the prison mobile device space. The claims in this latest patent are directed toward monitoring an inmate’s mobile device use and then remotely modifying inmate access to features and functions based on the detection of tampering with or prohibited usage of the device.

As more correctional facilities deploy wireless communications devices to inmates, these devices have the potential for criminal mischief if not closely monitored and strictly controlled. Prison authorities need timely notification of misuse or tampering as well as the ability to restrict or disable critical device features and functions, on an automatic or ad hoc basis.

Additionally, correctional facility staff need the capability to take immediate action to mitigate an individual inmate’s breach of the device use rules, or even restrict the functionality of all of the prison populations’ devices in the case of emergency situations such as a riot or lock down.

Brian Byrne, Managing Partner of meshIP, LLC commented, “With this fourth patent, we now have intellectual property which covers the four key aspects of secure wireless inmate calling – system, application, device management and now device security. There continue to be many industry announcements regarding personal communications device roll outs in prisons and jails, but we believe we are the only inmate communications services company with the intellectual property portfolio protecting these four core elements of the rapidly emerging inmate mobile device market.”

Update: The patent (US10,278,076) was issued on April 30, 2019 by the United States Patent Office. You can view the patent here: Fourth meshDETECT patent.

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meshDETECT® is pleased to announce that it has recently received a notice of allowance from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for U.S. Patent Application Number 14/945,145 entitled “System and method for controlling, monitoring and recording of wireless telecommunications services in penal institutions.” A notice of allowance from the United States Patent and Trademark Office is a written notification that a patent application has cleared internal review and is pending issuance.

This patent further expands our Secure Prison Cell Phone Solutions™ intellectual property coverage and solidifies our position as the prime innovator in the prison mobile device space. The claims in this latest patent are directed toward remotely reassigning detainee call profiles to portable electronic devices in penal institutions.

As more correctional facilities deploy wireless communications devices including secure cell phones and tablets, these devices will inevitably be shared, rotated and re-purposed for economic, security and population management reasons. For instance, a prison may have a pool of tablets that are shared among inmates. As the tablet is reassigned from one inmate to another, a new profile, containing the second inmate’s unique account information, can be remotely applied to the device. A the same time, the first inmate’s profile is removed from the device to insure security and maintain privacy.

Brian Byrne, Managing Partner of meshIP, LLC commented, “With this third patent we now have intellectual property which covers the three key aspects of secure wireless inmate calling – system, application and device management. There have been many recent industry announcements regarding personal communications device deployments in prisons and jails, but we believe we are the only inmate communications services company with the intellectual property portfolio protecting these three core elements of the rapidly emerging inmate mobile device market.”

Update: The patent (US9,794,788) was issued on October 17, 2017 by the United States Patent Office. You can view the patent here: Third meshDETECT patent.

Update: meshDETECT was awarded its fourth patent on 4/30/19.

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After last year’s announcement by the CDCR that they would halt the deployment of the managed access systems touted to stop the supply of contraband cell phones into California’s state prisons, the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation has now announced it is installing 272 more metal detectors, 68 X-ray machines to scan packages, 103 low-dose X-ray scanners, 170 hidden surveillance cameras, 34 devices to decrypt and analyze cellphones, and 272 scanners that detect magnetic signals in a new effort to address this supply problem.

According the the prison payphone provider in California, who also oversaw the now cancelled managed access system deployment, “The latest crackdown is unlikely to deter inmates who want to conduct illegal activities using an unmonitored cellphone,” said a Global Tel-Link product manager. “There is no magic bullet, You can’t try to address the demand because the demand is always going to be there. So it’s better to control the supply, not only by capturing illicit phones but analyzing their calls and contents. That analysis has at times led to investigators uncovering weapons or drugs within prisons.”

Demand and supply are two sides of the same coin

We have long advocated for a balanced strategy that addresses both supply AND demand, however. We believe that the problem of demand for smuggled mobile phones in jail goes beyond long-term offenders looking to continue their drug or crime operations, witness intimidation and the avoidance of high LD rates. The demand is also driven by a desire for more communication and more privacy (not secrecy). As such, any comprehensive solution should address both sides of the equation – supply and demand. However, like the problem of drug smuggling, without addressing the demand for contraband, the problem will never be solved.

A recent CDCR inmate, now released, shared with us the following insight, “California’s gangs have evolved over the past 5 decades to operate efficiently within the system of scarce resources. They can get gang orders out of a locked down county jail and into a locked down prison 70 miles away between midnight and 2 AM without reliance on any contraband inside either facility, telephones, nor help from staff using only technology from the 1970’s plus a large number of people inside and out working towards a common goal (FGA in custody terms – in furtherance of a gang activity). Sanctioned gang action does not travel over any phone for a reason. The reality is contraband phones are used for calls to friends and family, mostly female, because the GTL system is inadequate to serve the number of people housed within CA’s system of incarceration. Managed Access has become an asset for the gang that controls and sells and profits from the technology to defeat it, since it now drives demand for the product they offer to sell inside while reducing supply of competing alternatives.”

An article written by a current CDCR inmate also provides some interesting insights into this demand and how it is met, “The black market within the fences of the California prison in which I am incarcerated is as bad as any corrections department in this country. In my case, this prison is five hours from home, and the distance makes visitation a financial burden. Some prisoners have it even worse. The vast majority of the prison population lives on the support of loved ones alone. While the cost of a contraband cellphone is high, the corporation-run prepaid call system is downright robbery. Desperate to stay in touch with loved ones and faced with only unaffordable options, incarcerated people turn to the black market, where they are charged as much as $1,000 for a contraband smartphone. Incarcerated persons prefer to take the risk and spend the money on contraband phones than rely on the prison phone system because of the freedom they provide and their functionality beyond making simple calls. There are no time limits and fees to place calls…”

“The drug market is self-sustaining because drugs are consumed almost immediately. There will always be a demand for them, and the supply can flow as freely as they can be smuggled into the housing units. But a phone can possibly last years once you have one. So, there is a need for constant manipulation of the supply in order to ensure a steady stream of demand. The models of phone that I’ve come across are difficult to conceal and this could be deliberate. In the outside world, there are keychain-sized smartphones with 3G capabilities, but rarely have I seen one in here. I bought a basic talk and text-only phone the size of two fingers, and costed me the same amount as a 4G touchscreen model the size of my hand.”

meshDETECT is a secure prison cell phone solution that gives detainees highly customized cell phones with all the security and control features of prison payphones. This allows those detainees whose only desire is for legitimate, non-criminal contact with family to use wireless technology safely and securely.

By siphoning off and co-opting this non-criminal wireless usage, we significantly reduce the overall demand for contraband cell phones and therefore the profitability for those smuggling these devices. Less financial reward for cell phone smugglers changes the risk/reward equation and makes it much less appealing given the high personal and professional risk for those caught smuggling.

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