Michigan AG, Department of Corrections push for law allowing cell phone jammers in prisons
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LANSING, Mich. (FOX 2) - A push for a law change that would allow prisons to deploy cell phone jammers is growing, with officials and organizations calling on Congress to approve such a measure.
Cell phone jammers block signals transmitted between cell phones to stop them from working. They are currently banned in the U.S.
The backstory:
More than two dozen attorneys general, including Michigan AG Dana Nessel, sent a letter to Congress urging the passage of H.R. 2350 and S. 1137. If this bipartisan legislation is passed, it would allow prisons to use targeted jamming.
According to the letter, inmates are getting their hands on unauthorized cell phones and using them to commit crimes. This includes directing drug trafficking, planning crimes outside of prison walls, and intimidating witnesses and family members of victims. The letter references a case where an imprisoned gang leader used a smuggled cell phone to orchestrate a kidnapping.
Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti is one of the AGs leading the push. According to a press release from Skrmetti, a 2020 survey of 20 state corrections departments uncovered that 25,840 contraband cell phones were found in one year.
"Contraband cell phones pose a serious risk to public safety when criminals reach beyond prison walls and continue terrorizing our communities," he said. "This legislation finally gives states the tools they need to stop this illegal and dangerous activity."
Nessel echoed Skrmetti's stance, saying that the "legislation is crucial in cracking down on contraband cell phones and protecting inmates, correctional staff, and the public."
Michigan's Department of Corrections (MDOC) has also joined the effort to change the current laws.
"Corrections departments across the country are not only seeing an increase in contraband cell phones but also an increase in sophisticated crimes being committed when prisoners have access to them," MDOC Director Heidi E. Washington said. "Signal jamming is a common-sense solution to this growing problem, and when implemented, will help stop organized crime and save lives in our facilities and beyond our walls."
The other side:
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) argues that while illegal cell phones in prisons are an issue, jammers aren't the answer.
According to the FCC's website, cell phone jamming "causes more problems than it solves." The FCC's website goes on to say that jammers could interfere with 911 calls, and recommends inmate call capturing instead. Call capturing picks up calls made in prison and passes along only authorized calls.
However, MDOC says alternative methods to detect and stop illegal calls are "a significant cost to taxpayers" and have shown "varying degrees of success over the years."
The bill, introduced by Congressman David Kustoff (R-TN) and Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR), does address jamming that could stretch beyond inmate calls. According to a press release from the lawmakers, the law would allow "highly targeted cellphone jamming equipment in prison housing facilities." The wording of the bill says that the jamming technology would only be allowed to be deployed in inmate housing areas.
Additionally, prisons would be required to consult with local law enforcement and notify the director of the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) before adding the technology.
The Source: Press releases from attorneys general Dana Nessel and Jonathan Skrmetti, Congressman David Kustoff, Sen. Tom Cotton, and the Michigan Department of Corrections were used to report this story. A letter about jammers from the FCC website was also referenced.