Improving Your Experience...

One Question At A Time!

For over 25 years, Digital Solutions / Inmate Telephone, Inc. has supplied software solutions to the corrections industry. Our products include jail management systems, inmate telephones, probation and parole management systems, and call investigation tools. DSI / ITI always strives to improve the experience of its customers. Frequently, we are asked how to solve a variety of problems. Below, we have compiled a list of our most frequently asked questions by potential customers, current clients, and inmate family members. If you can not find what you are looking for here, please explore the rest of our website or contact us directly to Improve Your Experience.

From the Prospective Technology User:

Access Additional Technology User FAQs here.

• I have multiple systems that are not interfaced
  
  

  Let me guess. You have others coming to you constantly complaining that the same information has to be entered multiple times. This is a common problem that we hear constantly. The problem begins when one vendor doesn't want to work with another vendor. Before you know it, your job has become the middle man. Sound familiar?

  With solutions from Digital Solutions / Inmate Telephone, Inc. this won't be a problem. We have our applications interfaced and integrated together. For you, that means that when you enter an offender's name into one system, you won't have to enter it again into another system. We also know how to interface with other vendors. We have interfaced our applications with virtually every player in the market. Whether it's an interface to your commissary provider, your CAD / RMS system, or a state agency, we can handle it. With over twenty-five years in the public safety industry, we have seen it all (we've even interfaced to local newspapers for daily delivery!). Don't just take my word for it though, request a live demo and have one of our knowledge application specialists show you exactly how we can Improve Your Experience!     Close
  
  

• My systems are outdated – DOS or Client Server based
  
  

  Slow, sluggish, outdated, and just barely performs the job that it's supposed to do. That pretty much describes your current jail management system or inmate phone system doesn't it?

  What if I told you that you could not only have the newest system features and functionality without breaking the bank? Too good to be true?

  It's not! Our solutions are web based. What does that mean for you? Well it means that you can access your system from anywhere. Do you want to work from home today? Not a problem! What if you have a PC that needs swapped out for another? Not an issue either. Just navigate to the system through a safe and secure network connection and you're back in business.

  What about those new features that you're always hearing about? Well we have them! All of them! Our systems come, out of the box, with everything but the kitchen sink.

  We're not going to charge you extra to use them either! We'll work with you to understand how your facility operates and then show you how to use our solutions to meet your needs. We won't dictate how to do your job.

  If you're curious if we have the exact feature set that you are looking for, request a live demo today and one of our knowledgeable application specialists will answer your specific questions. We'll work with you to make it easy and Improve Your Experience!     Close
  
  

• My current provider can not service or support my technology needs
  
  

  30 minute hold times. Ten days until someone actually fixes the problem. Phones broken, inmate family members complaining, and rioting in the cell blocks. Yeah, we've heard the horror stories about other vendors. Isn't it great, when your system is in complete failure, to be told that the earliest someone will be there is two to three business days?

  What if there was a company that put you and your problems before all else?

  Digital Solutions / Inmate Telephone, Inc. strives to constantly Improve Your Experience. That goes for our new customers, old customers, inmates, family members, partners, employees, you get the point. When something goes wrong and you need someone to be there to help you get the issue fixed. We'll be that company. We not only stand behind our technology, but we'll stand shoulder to shoulder with you until all is well and life is back to normal. Have we had some long wait times and extended periods to fix problems. Sure. We admit that we haven't always been perfect, but you won't find a company out there that will stand beside you through the tough times more than we will. We will see the problem through and not leave you hanging. Don't believe me? Request a live demo and have one of our application specialists tell you all about how we will Improve Your Experience!     Close
  
  

• No one knows how to use our current system
  
  

  Let me guess. You have one or two people in your entire facility that actually know how to use the system that you currently use. They were trained when the system was purchased and were instructed to train everyone else. The only problem is, they know how to use it, but not how to teach anyone else how to use it. So now you are left with an expensive system that no one knows how to use.

  You're not alone. We see this all the time when we replace an old system with ours. Many times, the system isn't unusable. It simply wasn't designed for the people that will actually use it. Our solutions have been crafted over a twenty-plus year time frame by the users that actually interact with our system everyday. At our annual User Group, our users - people just like you - vote on what changes or additions that they would like to have made to our solutions. This helps us to provide our customers with exactly what they need. They also tell us how it should look and feel. This leaves us with a system that has everything that you need and is easy to use. We also will never leave your facility without your entire staff knowing how to perform their daily tasks and more! If you would like to see what twenty-five years of user input and training looks like, request a live demo with one of our application specialists to learn how we can Improve Your Experience!     Close
  
  

• New technology solutions are too expensive for my facility to afford
  
  

  Systems are breaking down or becoming obsolete and you have no money to buy something new to get all the wheels back on track. Sound familiar?

  Affordability is something that companies and customers both struggle with. Technology can be a really expensive upgrade for facilities to afford. Unfortunately, with the economy in a downturn, county funded technology projects are not on the top of the list.

  There are options. Digital Solutions / Inmate Telephone, Inc. have worked on several creative pricing proposals that may fit your facility's needs. For example, by signing a new inmate phone contract, it may be possible for you to receive other technology solutions as part of your contract for an extremely reduced price (sometimes even cost free to the facility!). For more information on how we can help make technology upgrades affordable for your facility, request a live demo and one of our knowledgeable account executives can walk you through the process. Funding options are available. Request a live demo today to learn how we can Improve Your Experience.     Close
  
  

From the Prospective Administration User:

Access Additional Administration User FAQs here.

• I keep hearing complaints about the fees that inmate friends and family members must pay for inmate calls. I think this is affecting the revenue my facility earns from those calls.




Unfortunately, the emerging trend for most inmate phone companies is to increase hidden fees on the back-end in order to maximize profits and remain competitive. They use these fees to supplement their income by incorporating hidden fees (which are not subject to regulation) on inmate calls. Many facilities are not aware of the existence of such fees and most are not paid commissions on them. These fees directly affect friends and family members who are opening accounts by decreasing the funds that are available for phone calls with their loved ones. What some facilities might not realize, though, is that fees charged to inmate phone accounts can negatively affect their bottom line as well. This is why you may not be receiving as much revenue from inmate calls.

An Overview of Fees:


• Opening fees are charged when an inmate's friend or family member sets up a specific account for their personal telephone line.
• Transaction fees are charged when money is placed onto an already existing prepaid phone account.
• Closing fees are charged after an inmate is released from the facility and their family and friends wish to get back the money that remains in their prepaid phone account.
• Technology fees allow phone companies to recoup the costs of providing technology by charging the called party each time an inmate makes a call.

As a company, we do charge a number of small fees on inmate telephone calls; however they are minor in comparison to other providers. Our fees for deposits to inmate friends and families are the lowest in the industry. We try to be advocates for inmate friends and family members who are already burdened with their loved ones spending time incarcerated. We want your facility to be able to collect as much revenue as possible from inmate phone calls and we do this by charging only when absolutely necessary to supplement labor or technology costs. Come talk to us and we'll show you the numbers!

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• I want to generate more statistical reports to help me make better decision for my facility. I need to create customized templates to make third party agency reporting easier on my staff.




You want accurate reports at your fingertips regarding your inmates and your facility. You also need to have the ability to make agency reporting as quick and painless as possible. You want to investigate some statistical patterns and use reporting as an investigative tool. You want to make better decisions - faster and more accurately. We hear this a lot! And we have the solution - as well as the capabilities of creating newer and better ways to accumulate and manage your facility data.

Within the Offender Management System, built-in (and customizable) reports interface with Crystal Reports and make generating statistical information and agency reporting a breeze. Our support team and product specialists can also help you design and generate your own reports within the software modules, based on your facility's individual reporting needs. Even more, data from any report can be exported to other popular file formats and third party programs with ease! Listed below are some of the reports that come standard within your Offender Management System:


• Accounting
• Activity Logs
• Batch Deposits and Withdrawals
• Booking
• Cash Drawer
• Charges
• Classification
• General Ledger
• Good Time
• Housing Incidents
• Incidents
• Inmate Mail
• Inventory
• Key Management
• Meals
• Medical
• Population
• Probation/Parole
• Property
• Scheduling
• Temporary Release
• Visitation
• Warrants
• Work Release

Our goal is to provide you with a state-of-the-art product that meets and exceeds your needs. Part of that objective, is helping you sift through all of that information and use it to make better decisions in regards to your inmates and your facility. Call us today for more information on how we can improve your reporting experience!     Close



• I’m looking for ways to make it easier for friends and family members to place money onto an inmates’ commissary or phone account so that I can generate more revenue.



Your visitation lines are growing and your staff members keep receiving calls from inmate friends and family members complaining that they are unable to get through to anyone on the phone to make a payment. Your visitation officers are handling thousands of dollars in phone and commissary deposits a month. Visitors are complaining because they cannot come in and deposit funds after visitation hours are over. Does this sound like your facility? Let us help!
Friends and family members of inmates that are managed by our Offender Communication System (OCS) have access to a variety of payment options, both in person and online. They can make a payment to an inmate phone account without ever having to leave the comfort of their home. They are happy that they can speak with their loved ones and more importantly, it's generating more revenue for your facility.
The eZ Deposit Kiosk accepts cash or credit card deposits from an inmate's family and friends and places it automatically into either the inmate's commissary or phone account. The kiosk can be placed into a secure space in your visitation area. The addition of kiosks to your facility will decrease visitation lines and reduce the liability to your corrections staff of handling large amounts of money each day.
Our InmateBanker.com website allows friends and family members to put money onto an inmate commissary or phone account from any computer with a secure internet connection. Best of all, there is no fee to your facility for this outstanding service! We set you up with a site, give you the necessary tools to inform friends and family members of the new service, and you're generating revenues for your facility almost immediately.
Should friends and family members want to speak with someone regarding their loved one's phone or commissary account, they can speak with one of our Live Operators or dial into our Automated Interactive Voice Response Line available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Our group of friendly customer support agents are always ready to assist!
For more information and to read how these self service options are helping some of our current facilities, see the following:


• Montgomery County
  
  
• Lebanon County
  
  
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• I can’t always be at the facility. I need a system that I can access remotely.




We all know that you can't be at the facility all hours of the day and night, but sometimes you need to access information from your jail management or inmate phone system when you are not physically there. Security issues come up, you need to consult an inmate's case file, or you want to monitor a live call or listen to a recorded phone call. Look no further. We have the products for you!

The Evolution platform for our Offender Management System (OMS) puts inmate and facility data within your reach, from any location at any time - even your home office or local coffee shop. The web-based applications enable users to control their facilities without boundaries - allowing security and control even during those times when you cannot physically be in the building. Enjoy decreased hardware and software requirements. Lower your facility costs and maintenance of upgrades on multiple workstations. Change out workstations with ease since you won't have to download or install programs. Save labor hours and money - all while being able to utilize your jail management and inmate phone systems through the web.

With our Offender Communication System, you can control your phone system from anywhere, at any time. With internet access, you can listen to recordings, monitor live phone conversations, change configurations, suspend specific calls and actual phone units or handle almost anything else you would normally do from your desk. With the two systems integrated together, you can handle almost any task from the comfort of your own home - without having to step foot into your facility. Request a demo today and we'll show you the next revolution in inmate care!     Close



• I simply can’t afford new technology right now.




Your current jail management software is outdated and continues to crash when you try to initiate reports. Inmates keep complaining because the phone system is down again and they can't make phone calls. It's obvious that your current accounting system isn't made for corrections - you're tired to conforming to its standard modules. And you're tired of keeping track of commissary transactions and loads of inventory. We know the problems you face - and we know that you want to fix them as quickly and cheaply as possible. We also know that with today's economic shortfalls, your county cannot afford to buy you brand new, shiny technologies to help you do your job better. You've come to the right place. And we have options for you!

As a company, we have worked on several unique options to meet your facility's needs when it comes to software. We can provide the best options for your facility at prices recognized by many as the lowest in the industry. Because of the pricing plans we have created, it may even be possible for you to receive software at an extremely reduced cost and sometimes even for free. And we won't nickel and dime you for every change or fix that needs to be made to customize your system. Our experienced service and support teams are ready to help you - they know our products and they can truly improve your experience. Request a live demo and speak with our sales account executives to get the details on our outstanding pricing options.

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From the Prospective Day-To-Day User:

Access Additional Day-To-Day User FAQs here.

• Calls being missed due to lack of time?




Our voice recordings are all digital, available all the time! We offer you the flexibility to record one call, selected calls, or all calls while protecting attorney-client privileges. A multitude of search methods makes it easy to find, play, copy, and email recordings.

With our internet ready system you will be able to access your system from anywhere. All you need is a secure Internet portal. It is as if you have a traveling desk. This feature gives you the ability to:

• Listen to Recordings
• Monitor Live Conversations
• Change Configurations
• Etc.

Silently monitor calls from any device that has a sound card and speakers. There are no special monitoring stations, phones or headsets required - just an internet or network connection. Monitor calls such as:

• Calls to a Specific Phone Number
• Calls Made by a Specific Inmate
• Calls Made by a Specific Phone or Group of Phones
• Calls Made From Your Facility

You can monitor these calls even when you leave the office with the appropriate security and an internet connection. One simple key press will allow you to record the call while you are monitoring.

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• Word searches not enough for your calls?



Call IQ will give you the ability to automatically transcribe recorded calls. The system was designed to automatically remove meanings and flags calls that need to be investigated. You will also have the ability to research by topic and allow the use of an expert derived dictionary to automatically retrieve all recording containing gang and other slang. This system will also be continuously updated of slang and other dictionaries along with custom phrases entered by law enforcement experts.
Call IQ will save hours in investigations and reveal untold information that in the past went undiscovered. Here are examples of what Call IQ will do for you.
• Save time investigating criminal activity
• Reduce crime in correctional facilities
• Catch criminals in the act
• Keep criminal activity out of correctional facilities
• Reduce time wasted by receiving results to related crimes
• Eliminate witness harassment
• Stifle gang and terrorist recruitment
• Discover escape plot
• Build the investigative dictionary to match local slang
• Receive email alerts when certain phrases are said
• View exactly where in the call the searched term was stated
• Proceed automatically to the point where the phrase was discussed
• Search results by importance and relevance
• Receive positive press for eliminating criminal activity
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• Traffic flow causing congestion in the facility?



For the facility, having corrections staff take monetary payments can be a hassle and a security risk. What if you could eliminate the need for correctional staff to handle deposits and eliminate the need to manually enter a record of the deposits into your computer system? What if you could improve inmate morale by constantly having their commissary accounts filled and ready to be spent? What if we could help eliminate the calls from inmate's friends and families?
With our Self Service Options this can all happen. Below you will see how eZ Deposit Kiosks, InmateBanker.com, and BillPay can help you with all these issues. This will allow your staff more time to take care of more demanding tasks.
Ez Deposit Kiosks
The eZ Deposit Kiosk can take cash or credit card deposit from an inmate's family and friends and place it automatically into either the inmate's commissary account or an account used for the inmate to place phone calls.
InmateBanker.com
Inmate Banker is a service that allows inmates' family and friends to go online and easily deposit funds into the inmate's commissary account. Family and friends can select a facility and the inmate and deposit funds from the comfort of their own home, which will cut down on the volume of mail sent to your facility and decrease errors made during data entry.
InmateTelephone.com
ITI BillPay allows inmate's families and friends to managing their inmate phone account(s) effortlessly online. They will have the ability to access their account 24 hours a day with this free and secure service. By signing up for BillPay they will be able to:
• Add money to your account online
• Check your account activity
• Change your billing address
• Review & download your monthly statements
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• Face-to-face meetings and collection processes becoming overwhelming?




Call-Track is a fully automated, low-risk offender reporting service - a FREE solution for your probation agency. Call-Track provides automated monthly reporting, reducing time spent monitoring low-risk offenders while providing offenders with a simple and affordable way to report to you. Call-Track collects all required information from the offenders with questions tailored specifically to your agency's needs. It also records phone and address changes, maintains a history of all calls made, and verifies the identity and location of the calling parties. Furthermore, Call-Track schedules offenders for monthly reporting and alerts probation officers that the offender either missed or was late for their reporting date.

Experience the benefits of e-mail alert notification, multiple question set capability and easy access to reports. Call-Track can be used as a stand-alone service, yet it integrates seamlessly with Probation & Parole Management System (PPMS). Call-Track is easily altered to meet your needs. It's the best low-risk offender reporting system available.

The Probation & Parole Management System is compatible with DSI's Fines & Costs system, putting the power of offender fine, restitution, and fee collection at your fingertips. Fines & Costs is a full-featured accounting package that can automate the entire collection process: prints checks, prints payment books, and manages multiple offender payment plans.>     Close

From the Current Facility User(s):

Access Additional Current Facility User(s) FAQs here.

• How do I setup an account for phones?




Call our sister company ITI at 814-949-3303 or you can set up an account online at www.offenderconnect.com

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• How do I setup a datasource location for a Crystal Report?




Click here to review detailed instructions on setting up a datasource location for a Crystal Report.

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• What is a work flow in the OMS and what does it do?




Work flow is a set of screens an Officer can work through to make sure all pieces of a booking (or another task) are completed. An inmate can be placed into a workflow automatically at the time of booking, or can be placed in a workflow at any time during his/her incarceration. In OMS Evolution, workflows can be found under the Tools menu and then by clicking on Workflow

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• How do I add the "New Tid Button" on the booking page in OMS?




Click on Settings on the menu bar and select Security Administration. Then either select groups or user tab depending on if your rights are set up by user or group. Click on the group or user name you are changing. In the right window scroll down till you find the item called Booking Module then check the box below called Generate A Tid then click save and close.

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• I have an equipment failure at my site; who holds the warranty on this item?




In most cases unless stipulated in your contract with DSI the warranty of all equipment will be handled through the manufacturer.

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• I would like a custom crystal report for the OCS system.




ITI does not write custom reports for the system, there are numerous "canned" reports that come built into OCS and you may bring your request to Users Group for consideration.

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From the Families and Friends of Inmates in our facilities:

Access Additional Family & Friends FAQs by visiting OffenderConnect.com.

• How can I receive telephone calls from someone who is being housed at a correctional facility?




If the facility's telephones are maintained by Inmate Telephone Inc. (ITI), you may need to set up an account to enable phone calls to be received at your telephone number. To set up an account, please visit www.offenderconnect.com or contact a customer service representative by calling 814-949-3303. Some facilities also offer options for the inmate to pre-pay for telephone calls by directly debiting money from his/her commissary account or by purchasing a pre-paid calling card at the facility.

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• Is there any way that I can call the inmate?




Unfortunately, inmates are not permitted to receive incoming telephone calls. They are only permitted to place outgoing phone calls from the facility.

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• If I choose to set up an account with Inmate Telephone Inc., what payment options are available to me?




Most customers who set up an account with ITI choose to pre-pay for their telephone calls. Pre-payments can be made by credit card, Western Union, Money Gram or money order. You may also be able to request a line of credit with ITI pending approval of a credit check. Please visit www.offenderconnect.com or contact our customer service department for further details.

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• How can I find out which correctional facilities require me to set up an account for telephone calls through Inmate Telephone Inc.?




For a list of participating facilities and what services are available at each, please visit www.offenderconnect.com and click on the Locations tab on the homepage. Select a state from the dropdown to display the participating facilities and available services. This information can also be obtained by contacting our customer service department at 814-949-3303.

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• What is the cost of a telephone call from a correctional facility?




The rates for phone calls vary by facility and customer location. To find out what your rates are, listen to the recorded prompts when the inmate calls you and press the corresponding number on your telephone to hear what your call rates are before you accept the incoming call. You may also contact our customer service department at 814-949-3303 to request the rates for the facility you wish to receive calls from.

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