Abstract: Disclosed is cash-release system and methods of use for releasing a cash balance of an account associated with a releasee from a secure facility. One embodiment includes a ticket/card printer/dispenser and a cash-release station operating at the secure facility and a network operations center operating remotely to the secure facility. The network operations center may include an operations processor that is coupled with the ticket dispenser and the cash-release station via a secure communications network, wherein the operations processor implements a cash-release management module to retrieve identity information for and the account balance of the releasee from an accounts-management and records system associated with the secure facility, to dispense an encoded ticket/card providing or linking to the identity information and the account balance, and to operate a cash-release station to read the encoded ticket, verify the identity information, and dispense the account balance to the releasee.

Abstract: Systems and methods for providing electronic content and applications to residents of controlled-environment facilities are disclosed. The portable computing device may be configured to determine that an external memory has been coupled to it. The external memory may include content requested by the resident and a key configured to allow the device to access the content to the exclusion of other devices associated with other residents. The portable computing device may retrieve the key from the external memory and allow the resident to view or play the content if the key matches a lock programmed within the device. If the resident attempts to insert a non-authorized external memory into the device, its contents may be erased and/or an alert may be generated. The content of the external memory may be transferred to the portable computing device and then the external memory may be locked so that it is unusable.