System And Method For Controlling, Monitoring And Recording OF Wireless Communications In Penal Institutions

1. A system for controlling, monitoring, and recording of wireless telecommunications services associated with penal institutions, comprising: a portable electronic device; and an application that, when executed on the portable electronic device, presents a listing of available call destinations based on receiving a first instruction from a first authorized party in possession of the portable electronic device, receives a second instruction comprising a choice of a first call destination from the listing, transmits a third instruction requesting connection with the first call destination, joins a second authorized party associated with the first call destination in a first voice session, and joins the first authorized party to the first voice session, wherein the portable electronic device originates and receives transmissions solely upon approval of the application, wherein the first authorized party is a detainee in a penal facility, wherein the second authorized party is external to the penal facility, and wherein the first voice session is monitored and recorded.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the application further joins the first authorized party to a second voice session initiated by the second authorized party based on the application determining that the second authorized party initiated the second voice session from the first call destination and wherein the second voice session is monitored and recorded.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the portable electronic device interacts with a control application accessible via the third instruction and executing on a private branch exchange (PBX) located one of on the premises of a penal facility and elsewhere.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the control application provides to the portable electronic device the listing of available call destinations and information regarding permitted calling schedule and funds availability for calling.

5. The system of claim 3 , wherein the listing of available call destinations is stored at least one of on the portable electronic device and on the private branch exchange.

6. The system of claim 3 , wherein the private branch exchange at least one of adds and deletes entries from the listings of available call destinations and pushes the listings to the portable electronic device.

7. The system of claim 3 , wherein the third instruction is transmitted to the control application via one of dialing a telephone number, contacting an Internet Protocol (IP) address, and contacting a Media Access Control (MAC) address associated with the control application.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the portable electronic device generates at least one of a text messaging alert and an electronic mail alert upon detection that the portable electronic device has been at least one of physically and electronically tampered with.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the portable electronic device is automatically disabled upon detection that the portable electronic device has been at least one of physically and electronically tampered with wherein tampering includes removal of subscriber identity module (SIM) from the portable electronic device.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein a first subscriber identity module (SIM) installed in the portable electronic device is modified to permit transmissions only to a predetermined telephone number associated with the first instruction, wherein the first SIM becomes inoperable when not used in the portable electronic device, and wherein the portable electronic device cannot engage in outgoing or incoming calls when the first SIM is not installed.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the portable electronic device is verifiable as non-contraband at least by one of locally reading an International Mobile Station Equipment Identity (IMEI) of the portable electronic device, by manually verifying a non-removable application executing on the portable electronic device that provides a digital validator or watermark, and by an officer entering a keypad entry on the portable electronic device that returns a unique validation response verifiable by the officer.