Title: Cell Phones in Prisons | National Institute of Justice
Headings: Cell Phones in Prisons
Cell Phones in Prisons
Introduction
Cell Phones Are a Widespread Problem
Talking About Cell Phones
Cell Phones as Contraband
Shutting Down Cell Phones
Federal Government Rules
Countering the Problem
Guidebook for Administrators
Cite this Article

Content: In Tennessee, prison officials banned jars of peanut butter after learning that an inmate accused in the shooting death of a guard had used a jar to hide the cell phone he used to coordinate his escape. Prisoners have also used cell phones to harass and threaten their victims. In Texas, courts have convicted more than a dozen corrections officers in recent years for accepting bribes in exchange for cell phones or phone parts. Cell Phones as Contraband
The number of contraband cell phones being confiscated is also noteworthy. For example, in California, correctional officers seized 1,331 cell phones in the first six months of 2008. Corrections officials in other states have also reported finding hundreds of cell phones. Corrections officials have spent millions of dollars to outfit prisons and jails with metal detectors, but the detectors do little to stem the flow of cell phones from the outside. Some cell phone parts are made of plastic and go undetected. Shutting Down Cell Phones
Summary of Technological Approaches to Combating Contraband Cell Phone Use in Prisons
Blocking cell phone service involves using technologies to stop the transmission or reception of other radio signals. In some cases, blocking signals can be tuned to leave specific frequencies open, which would allow for communication among corrections personnel, or they can block almost all signals.