Cellphones are too dangerous for prison

[Commentary] Contraband cellphones are now flooding into our nation’s jails and prisons. They are flown into institutions via drones. They are thrown over prison fences stuffed into everything from footballs to dead cats. They are smuggled into facilities inside everything from underwear to legal papers. In South Carolina alone, corrections officials confiscated over 4,000 contraband cellphones and related accessories in 2015. Inmates’ use of contraband cellphones has to stop.

The bad news is that it’s just not possible for corrections officers to keep each and every cellphone out of prisons. Contraband has always made its way in, and it always will. The good news is that there are steps we can take to help law enforcement combat this problem. For instance, South Carolina has been leading the fight against contraband cellphones, deploying technologies designed to identify contraband phones and prevent inmates from successfully placing calls. But there is much more that can and should be done. That’s where the Federal Communications Commission comes into play. In 2013, the FCC teed up technological solutions and regulatory reforms that could make it easier for law enforcement to prevent the use of contraband cellphones. To date, however, the FCC has not enacted any of those reforms.


Cellphones are too dangerous for prison FCC wants to stop prisoners from making cell phone calls (CNNMoney)