US prisons use new tech to dial down illegal cellphones

US prisons use new tech to dial down illegal cellphones

What’s the context?
US prison officials harness new technology to crack down on contraband cellphones but some still want powers to jam signals

  • South Carolina programme shuts off more than 800 phones

  • Federal action on broader signal jamming tech seen as unlikely

  • Activists raise privacy, rights concerns for prisoners

RICHMOND, Virginia - As director of South Carolina's Department of Corrections, Bryan Stirling believes he knows what is needed to make the state's 21 penal institutions safer while also protecting people outside the prison walls.
Ideally, Stirling would like to have the power to jam phone signals from the state's prisons to tackle the scourge of illegal cellphones being used to facilitate crimes ranging from sex trafficking to murder-for-hire and drug dealing.
But this action has been prohibited under federal law for decades, and there is no immediate sign of change despite numerous appeals from law enforcement officers across the country, including a letter from top state prosecutors to the leaders of Congress last year.
With no movement likely in the near future, South Carolina opted for a pilot programme that allowed authorities in Lee Correctional Institution to identify and shut down contraband cellphones. More than 800 phones have been shut off at Lee since last July, out of an inmate population of about 1,100.
"We call it a pilot, but it's basically the system in there now," said Stirling. "We are using this technology in Lee and we will continue to use this technology until we can secure the money to do it everywhere."

Cellphone jammers not enough to block calls from prisoners

  1. This is the view of senior prison officials who tell the Sunday Express that even though signal blocker (which they say are operational) are used to block signals from cellphones within the prisons, other interception technologies are needed for the system to be effective.

  2. Cellphone jammers are being used. But they need to be in use with other technologies like Wi-Fi jammers to be truly effective. We can see this in other jurisdictions. But it’s yet to be properly utilised here.

  3. “So you will have prisoners with cellphones and tablets who cannot make calls. But they can use either the phone’s data, or if they have access to a hot-spot device or a Wi-Fi box, they will be able to make calls via social media apps. These include things like WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram. So there is still the issue of communication with the outside world. Communication is still being made.

  4. “In other jurisdictions, you will see the cellphone jammers being used with other interception devices to determine the frequencies used by these devices, and then target those specific frequencies. If this is not done, then it’s almost like spinning top in mud,” a senior source in the Prison Service explained yesterday.

name
email
url
comment

NEW ENTRIES
An Emerging Trend Involves the Interference of Wireless Security Devices(12.03)
Intercepting a Daytime Break-In Suspect(12.02)
Compact Mobile Phone Signal Disruptors(11.30)
Taking Action on Cell Phone Jammers Prisons(11.29)
Students Using Mobile Phones to Cheat(11.28)
Ukraine Uses Drones and Jammers to Break into Kursk Port(11.27)
Has Your Doorbell Camera Been Interfered With?(11.26)
Arrested for Using Cell Phone Jammer on Train(11.25)
A Person Interrupts Communication While on the Bus(11.22)
GPS Jammers Can Wreak Havoc, Cover up Crime(11.21)
RECENT COMMENTS
TAGS
4g 5W 5g Acquired Aerial Alarms Antenna Aviation Be Beware Block Blocker Blockers Blocking Blocks Bluetooth Bombings Bombs Booster Bowl Break Burglar CTA Call Camera Cameras Cars Cctv Cell CellPhone Cellphone Cheat Cheating Chinese Communications Controversial Conversation Counter Countermeasure Criminal Customers Cut Daylight Demand Desktop Device Devices Disrupt Disruptors Door Doorbell Drone Drone-Jamming Drones During Effective FCC Father Fcc Firm Found GPS GSM Government Gps Gsm Gta5 Havoc High-tech His Home Homemade Hours Increasing Information Installieren Installing Interceptor Interference Jammer Jammers Jamming Jong-Un Kids Kim Kursk Line Market Mobile Mouse Multi-frequency Not Pager Phone Phones Poor Port Portable Pouch Prevent Prisons Problem RF Radar Radio Range Receive Red Ring Russian Safely Schools Scrambler Security Signal Signal-Blocking Signal-Jamming Signaldetektor Signals Signalstörsender Signalstorsender Spoofing Spying Steal Stop Super Systems Takes Technology Than Threats Tracking UEFAEURO Used Video Wave Wi-Fi Wifi Wireless Work Wreak a adjustable alleged amended auto avoid backyard block blocker blocks burglary bus buy calls camera cameras cant car cell cell-jamming cellphone cellphones chatter churches close college combatting communications cybercrime department designs does drivers drone drones emergency enough events explosion fine fly for gangs getting glendale gps gun help herovigilante his home illegal in installing interceptor interference jammer jammers jamming laptop laser legislation legit location lock loud machine majesty match-fixing military mobile more music my on or phone phones police powerful prison prisoner privacy programs promotion prompt protect protection public questions radar safety school scrambler security shot signal signals speed störsender stereotype stop support systems tampered tech technology tellcell theft to tracking trail transportation uav uber use various vehicle voice website websites what wi-fi wifi wifi-jamming wifijammer wifijammers wireless with you your 8 911 1934 2024
ARCHIVES
RSS
RSS