Electronic inmate gift service

This service allows for the automated request and/or delivery of various goods to inmates within the prison system. These include letters and cards, medicines and pharmaceutical products, photos of friends and family and various other parcels. The service functions as an online store of sorts, with friends and relatives able to select and pay for goods which are then procured, delivered and inspected, before being given to the inmates without unnecessary delays, and in most circumstances within two to three days. The choice of goods is limited as it is restricted to the list of permitted goods for the prison service, and includes mineral water, tea, coffee, juice, pastries and baked goods, tinned food, fast food, chocolates etc.

All the products have been made available under a state purchase system, guaranteeing the quality and standards of the goods. When family members are purchasing the products, the relationship to the inmate must be specified and approved. Payment can be made via bank transaction or postal order, and can be processed at all hours. The orders themselves are processed by employees of the relevant institutions between 08:00 and 17:00, Monday to Friday. The letter-writing service allows friends and family members to use the specially developed software to send an e-letter to inmates, with the option of receiving a scanned copy of the handwritten response. Furthermore, the library element of the service allows customers to pay for, and organize the delivery of, printed materials for the use of inmates. These can include books, magazines and newspapers.

Institutions have access to a project manager section of the service, where they can process and track current orders, decline orders where authorization or payment has not been correctly fulfilled, and view previous orders. The archive for previous orders can be searched based on a range of parameters, including the type of order, the inmate to receive the goods or services, and whether the order was approved.