Legislation that firmly prohibits illegal prison contraband, such as cell phones, cell phone jammer, and signal detectors, can help improve public safety.
If you are found guilty, you will go to prison. Prison should deprive you of your rights and privileges. You eat, sleep and work according to a strict schedule.
You have no contact with the outside world.
Unless you manage to contact the prison contraband. Some contraband seems harmless: junk food, cosmetics, cigarettes. But phones are a big problem. For example:
The millionaire fraudster was convicted of fleeing his business
Controlling contraband in prisons is a top priority. Tools that stop external communication are available. Read on to learn more.
The most dangerous type of prison contraband
Weapons, drugs, money, etc. are dangerous and illegal in prison. However, mobile devices and microcomputers connected to accomplices outside the wall did the most damage. This way, criminals can continue to conduct their business and operate as if they were outside the prison.
Cell phones can coordinate and organize almost any other contraband. It's small and easy to hide. Thanks to modern technology, there are few places off the beaten track.
Smuggling mobile phones to prisoners involves indulging guards, lawyers or other more clever tricks. Some smugglers use drones or versions of documents to bake into birthday cakes. No matter how hard you try to keep cell phones out of prison, some will succeed.
A major problem
Security experts would call the proliferation of mobile phones an epidemic. In South Carolina, prison officials found and confiscated the phones of three inmates. In Oklahoma, six inmates and an illegal phone succumbed.
About 2.4 million people are behind bars across the country, and between 400,000 and 800,000 illegal phones are in the hands of criminals. Mobile phones allow prisoners to use social media, conduct business, access banks and more.
This is not just an American problem. At least 15,000 mobile phones or SIM cards have been confiscated from prisons in England and Wales. To combat the attacks, officials jammed or blocked cell phone signals.
Some prisons use fake cellular networks to pick up signals and then track and block communications. "Seizure" allows access to legitimate phones and SIM cards while blocking access to others. It's expensive and limited to old technology.
Jamming cellular signals is not foolproof. Cell phone jammers are also a human factor. Blocked signals can affect legitimate phones as well as smuggled ones. Mobile reception is completely blocked, jamming blocks all phones and SIM cards within range of the signal jammers.
Guards and other personnel may "accidentally" cut off power or disable jammers. Even a brief power outage allows a phone to connect to the outside world.
Phones used for computing functions can work without a signal. Smartphones can be used as small computers and data storage devices. Connecting to Wi-Fi enables voice calls, data transfers and ubiquitous social media.
Prisoners use devices to record messages and videos and then move their phones or SIM cards. The accomplices passed data and messages to prisoners outside or in other parts of the facility.
