

        	'A Detailed Look Into Prison Phone Systems'


  Date: Thursday, August 23, 2001
  Author: The Clone


   * - Disclaimer

   * - Introduction

   * - Prison Switching System List

   * - Prison Phone And Switch Security
 
   * - A Legal Way To Beat High Cost Prison Phone Calls

   * - Online References

   * - Research Papers

   * - Contact Information

 -`-
  `

 Disclaimer: The content within this file is for informational and
             entertainment purposes only. Unauthorized access of
             the systems spoken about in this file may get you in
             trouble with local and/or national law enforcement.


 Introduction:

In this document, I will be taking a look into a less known and less discussed
area of the telecommunications industry; correctional facility phone systems.
Any type of payphone service located in high crime areas require a great deal of
protection in regards to physical, remote, and data/voice communication security.
Lets delve into this interesting system and learn the fundamentals, shall we?


 Prison Switching System List:
 
 -= Excell =-

Excell, which was acquired by AT&T, also develops programmable switches for
telecommunications service providers.

 -= Gateway Technologies =-

Gateway Technologies formerly located in Dallas Texas and now located in
Colorado that makes switch systems specifically for institutions.
They already have all the features and required options like recording of calls.

 -= Harris 20/20 =-

Example of Features:

1. 2 Shelf - 384 Ports

2. Automatic Call Distribution (ACD) Package:

  * Tandum Trunking
  * On-line Directory
  * Least Call Routing
  * First 1000 codes
  * DISA
  * System Speed Dial
  * Voice Mail interface
  * System traffic statistics
  * ACD 50 agents
  * ACD 1500 agent ID's
  * First 1,000 ANI codes
  * Message waiting
  * CDR (50,000 call records)
  * Meet-me-conferencing
  * Uniform call distribution
  * Music-on-hold interface

3. ACD  Reports Package (30)
4. DNIS
5. DCA  Admin/Maint. Port Pkg.
6. (2) Hex (16-port)  Analog Line unit
7. (5) Hex (16-Port)  Digital Line Units
8. 8 circuit DTMF Receiver unit
9. 8 port GS/LS Trunk unit
10. 8 port DID Trunk unit
11. (2) 24 circuit T-1 Digital Trunk Units
12. 4-wire E&M Trunk units
13. Digital Voice Announcement Recorders
14. Attendant workstation
15. (80)Alternate Voice data Optic 1 telesets
16. Power failure singlge line phone
17. Voice Processing Equipment -  12-port/15 hour Integrated VMS
18. Call, Accounting (CDR) Equipment  (Harris 50,000 Call Detail Records -
    Moscow-Emerald CAS for Windows
19. (23) Telesets
20. (3) ACD Supervisor Telesets
21. (2) Supervisops terminals
22. (2)  Hex (16 port) Digital Line units
23. System Admin. Terminal
24. 7' EIA   19" rack
25. DCA Card Cage  (16 slot)
26. Power failure transfer unit


 -= Summa Four =-

Summa Four, which was acquired by Cisco Systems for $116 million in 1998,
develops programmable switches for telecommunications service providers.
The switches are generally used for prison payphones, cell switching,
services like voice mail and calling-card dialing, and most recently voice-
over-IP infrastructure. The following models of Summa Four switches are the
ones most used in Canadian and American prison facilities:

 * - Summa Four VC04K

 * - Summa Four SDS-1000

 * - Summa Four SDS-500


 -= National Applied Computer Technology (NACT) =-

National Applied Computer Technology (NACT), for example, sells a switch
called the LCX120C switching system. It's a tandem digital switch, often
used by long distance carriers, prepaid calling card sellers, payphone route
handlers and other service providers. The 120C is a medium to large trunk
switch, capable of putting long distance traffic out to the toll network
without going through the local central office first. It's a generic switch,
therefore, with software making the difference. NACT is heavily involved in
the correctional industry. Let's look a little more closely at this switch,
since it is so often used in prisons and other high fraud locations.

Although I do not have the name of the operator, a NACT LCX120C is currently
operated by a company which manages or owns over 2,500 COCOTs in New York City.
1+, 0+ and 0- calls are processed through the switch and all traffic is scrut-
inized by NACT's proprietary 'Control and Validation Unit (CVU)'. Most software,
by the way, is developed in "C". NACT claims fraud losses will drop from 20% on
average to 0.5 percent and the return on investment for this operator was only
six weeks. Perhaps. The cabinet housing the switch stands three feet tall and
two feet wide. A clear plexiglass door covers the electronic bay housing the
electronics. Two 125 cfm fans keep the air moving. The control and validation
unit (CVU) stands at the top of the assembly. The CVU is the primary processor,
equipped with dual 330/520 MB hardrives and a 250 MB cartridge tape drive. Using
older but serviceable technology, the processor is an MC680x0, utilizing 8 megs
of ram and drawing on a 400 watt power supply. The CVU does validation and controls
the trunk control unit (TCU) below it. Up to four trunk control units can be supported,
each TCU controlling 120 ports (60 talk paths). The TCUs contain "processor and trunk
control cards to handle line signalling, send/receive digits, and interface with the CPU."
Each TCU utilizes a "realtime industrial processor", 128 Kb of RAM, 80 KB of ROM and a
300 watt power supply. An uninteruuptible power supply sits below the TCU and a remote
diagnostics system, with a modem, of course, sits below that. Add an administration
workstation and a printer and you're ready to roll.


Prison Phone And Switch Security:
 
    The General Points about Prison Payphones -

  * - The use of a telephone in prison is a privilege
      and any abuse can result in prohibition of access.

  * - All prisoner telephone conversations are recorded 
      and are subject to random or specific monitoring by
      security staff with the exception of calls made to
      legal advisers or to the Samaritans. As a general 
      rule of thumb approximately 10% of calls are monitored.

  * - Relatives or friends or others who receive unwanted,
      abusive or threatening telephone calls are entitled to
      ask the prison service to terminate the prisoners access
      to payphones (except under supervision).

  * - The extent of access to payphones is variable depending on
      the nature of the establishment.

  * - Prison payphones cannot be accessed from outside telephones;
      this means that prisoners cannot receive incoming calls.
      This is true for Alberta since the payphones located here are
      generally fortresses that are run on Telus lines, and do not
      accept incoming phone calls. This can't be said for all prisons
      in Canada and the States. I've heard of prisons implementing
      COCOTS for staff and prisoners to use. These COCOT's by default
      allow them to be called, and will answer in a modem carrier sound
      (for remote administration) or will simply ring until the other
      end picks up the line.
      
  * - All freephone, premium rate and special rate numbers are
      inaccessible from prison payphones - as are emergency numbers.


     Prison Switches -

 Prison switches physically are without a doubt the most well protected
 switches in the world as round-the-clock guards are located in and around
 the premises. Not even your local CO can do one better on physical prison
 switch security. However, much can be argued about the remote security of
 prison switching systems. Just like the COCOTs mentioned above, prison
 switches can be remotely administered, and often are.

 An authorized prison employee may set up a phone line that, when dialed to
 with a computer, modem, and proper login/password information will give them
 remote access to the switch located in the prison facility allowing them to
 do what they please. Unfortunately, too many people feel that security through
 obscurity is the best method. That prison employee who allows himself complete
 control over the prison phone system from home doesn't think for a moment that
 anyone is going to find their secret dial up number. Mistake number one; hackers
 and phreakers have been exploiting phone systems remotely for over a decade by
 using a simple wardialer program that dials a series of phone numbers in search
 of a new system they can try and hack. All of the popular prison phone switches
 used today: Excell, Gateway Technologies, Harris 20/20, Summa Four, and NACT all
 have remote-dialup administration capabilities.


   A Legal Way To Beat High Cost Prison Phone Calls

   Over the past few years, as phone companies such as AT&T, MCI, and
   Sprint have struck "sweetheart" deals with State prisons, providing
   security phones for collect calling, a new scandal has developed.
   With any State or Federal Agency, work orders are customarily
   submitted for outside bids, with the low bidder normally winning the
   contract for the job. However, in the case of prison phones, the
   highest bidder is usually awarded the job with the stipulation that
   portions of the collect charges are kicked back to the prison system.
   These kickbacks are normally between 30% and 50% of the total bill.

   Over the past few years the cost of collect prison calls have risen
   significantly. Sadly, these outrageous charges are bilked from those
   with the least ability to pay. Prisoners' families are often impoverished,
   or may be heavily depleted of resources due to the high cost of assisting
   with trial expenses. Nevertheless, few complain, in that it seems that 
   the DOC, along with so-called crime victims' advocacy groups, feel that 
   the punishment for the sins of prisoners should also be visited on 
   their families and friends.

   While inmates do not have any choice as to which service to use, we,
   the paying public do. There is a service the alternative companies
   were performing for inmate families that actually is something that
   any of us can duplicate with just a few phone calls, saving weeks of
   waiting, and sometimes hundreds of dollars per month in artificially
   inflated phone rates.
 
   There is a legal way around this. The secret is Remote Call Forwarding
   [RCF] and here is how it works: Remote Call Forwarding uses a virtual
   phone number that is local to the prison where your loved one is located.
   The phone number is not a physically installed telephone line... this 
   number exists only at the exchange center for that town or city. This 
   specially created phone line will be set up to automatically call forward
   to your home phone number [NO MATTER WHERE YOU LIVE].

   Advantages:

   * You pay for a local collect call

   * You pay regular long distance charges from the virtual phone number
     to your home number

   * Make sure you read all the information below before deciding if this
     is a good and economic alternative for you

   STEP ONE:

  A. First, you need to get the area code and phone number of the prison
     where your loved one is incarcerated.
   
  B. Then, you need to call directory assistance and ask for the phone
     number of the local Phone Company that would service that local    
     exchange. Calling the identified local Phone Company's residential 
     service center does not have to be physically located in the prison's
     city/town. For example, if the local Phone Company for the prison's 
     town/city is Telus, you can call their 1-800 number. Telus can handle 
     your order for any location in their coverage area.
 
 C. Call the local Phone Company and ask to speak to a representative 
    who can set up a remote call forwarding line. Once connected to this
    representative, get their name for future reference.

  1. Obtain the cost for setting up this service and any other associated 
     costs [i.e. monthly maintenance cost; cost of a private line]. If you 
     have the option of more than one local phone company for this area, 
     get comparative pricing to obtain the best financial deal. Often the 
     phone company will waive the set-up costs.
           
  2. Once you have obtained the costs, you may want to terminate the call 
     to evaluate if you can afford and/or want to spend the money on this 
     system. You may need to compare your current phone costs with the RCF 
     costs; typically you will see substantial savings with RCF but it is 
     best to figure this out before proceeding.
   
  D. If you decided to proceed with RCF:
 
  1. Tell the representative you want to establish a local phone number 
     for you in the same city or town where the prison is located and that 
     you want this local line to include remote automatic call forwarding 
     to your home phone number.

  2. You'll want to make sure the number is semi-private or unlisted, 
     since anyone who calls the newly set up phone number will be able to 
     ring through to your home phone number at your expense. There may be 
     a monthly charge for an unlisted phone.
           
  3. You also want to be absolutely sure that the representative does not 
     block collect-calls.

   STEP TWO:
  You then need to inform that company what long-distance service to 
  include for your remote-forwarding line. This is where a little homework 
  on your part will pay off.

   IMPORTANT:
 Before calling the local phone company, you need to select the long
 distance carrier you want to use for these calls. Investigate the 
 various options before calling the local phone company to set up your 
 service.

   STEP THREE:
   The representative will need a billing name and address [this is you].
   They may ask if you want this line terminated at a phone number already
   established, say yes giving them your home phone number.

   To find out if you can save money by establish a remote line, it's
   best to get out your calculator and do some simple math.  How many
   calls do you receive per month?  Add up the charges. The local Phone
   Company will typically charge you anywhere between $5 and $18
   per month for the line. Installation fees will vary, so it's important
   to check around. Collect calls fees will be charged to the local
   phone company, rather than to the long distance carrier, so rather
   than pay the $3 connect fee, plus 50¢ per minute, you'll probably pay
   between $1 and $2 for the call, plus sometimes 3¢ or 4¢ per minute.
   You'll also pay the long distance charge for the service you select
   for call forwarding. So, if the local company charges you $2 average
   for the call, and you talk for 15 minutes at 10¢ per minute, your
   charges will be $3.50 per call, as opposed to the $7 to $10 [or more]
   you're paying now. Add in the cost of the monthly fee for the local
   line, and you'll see the break-even point will be 3 to 4 calls per
   month. In addition, you'll have the satisfaction of knowing that not
   one penny of your hard-earned money will go to the Department of
   Corruptions!

   A WORD OF CAUTION:
   Anyone calling your remote number will be able to ring through to your
   home. It is therefore unavoidable that you'll get a few wrong numbers
   or pesky sales calls, and there is no way to avoid the one-minute
   charges you'll pay. However, this should rarely amount to more than
   $1 per month.

   AND, FINALLY...
   If you only receive one or two calls per month, it will not be
   cost-effective for you to set up a remote-calling line, unless you
   wish to increase your calls at substantial savings. In so doing, you
   will benefit even those who receive calls too infrequently to participate.

 -

  Online References:

   Private Line Magazine, Issue 12.
   http://www.nettwerked.net/TFA/p.l.No.12.html


  Research Papers:

   "The Prison Industrial Complex and the Global Economy" (lengthy)
    http://www.labournet.org/1999/Feb/prison.html


  Contact Information:

  E-mail: theclone@hackcanada.com
     URL: www.nettwerked.net
