After finding 775 prohibited cell phones in Texas prisons so far this year, state officials are petitioning federal regulators and the U.S. Senate for the power to jam cell phone signals in lockups — joining 27 other states who want the same authority.
Texas and other states hope to use jamming technology to keep cell phones out of the hands of inmates, who can use them to order criminal acts outside prison walls. “It’s critical,” said the Texas prison system’s inspector general, John Moriarty. “The cell phones are the most immediate threat to public safety in Texas. … We’ve had a lot of crimes orchestrated over those phones…”
But cell phone jamming by states is apparently prohibited by a 1934 federal law that bans states from interfering with federal airwaves.
“The problem with jamming technology is that’s it’s imprecise,” John Walls [representing wireless carriers] said. “We’re certainly not at odds on the intent. There’s not one legitimate customer that we have behind bars, and shutting that off is as much of a concern to the industry as anybody else.”
Walls said they want a solution that will “protect legitimate use while still solving the problem.”
Tell you what. Let the fracking cell phone companies come up with a technology that does what they want. Meanwhile, jam the signals in the prisons. Save the “what-ifs” for your favorite soap opera.
The Federal Law prohibiting State interference is completely appropriate.
So is review and exceptions given to States upon application.
Concerns about legitimate use is FUD. Lower the cone of silence and address unintended consequences as they arise.
I see no real issues beyond inertia and incompetency.
Remember that thingy we used to use to make phone calls? That’s right, a land line telephone. Jam those frakkers.
Easy enough to do. Have the state DOJ install taps on the cell towers near the prisons. Using triagulation look for signals originating inside the prison and reject the calls. Sounds like a job for Super Contractor. It will cost more money to be selective than broadband jam the handsets. Or better yet issue cell phones to all prisioners and charge them big bucks for airtime while montoring the calls to establish criminal networks. Sounds like a revenue generator.
#4, yes, they do. And they said they’ve found almost 1,000 of them. The problem is, you can’t find them instantly, and so the prisoners are getting SOME use out of them.
#3, too complex, requires manpower at the Telco.
All you need are small jammers spread out in the facility. Lots of little ones keeps the dead zone small. Build them into smoke detectors.
#4 “Don’t these prisons have guards that can search prisoners and their cells for contraband?”
Ummm… who do you think is giving the inmates cell phones in the first place?
Why don’t we just give the prisoners free iPhone 3GS ? After all the dropped calls and lost signals they’ll just quit using them.
Just cover the outside of the buildings with enough metal so the signals can’t get out.
Since the guards use different frequencies for their communications, there is no need to allow cell phone frequencies in the prisons.
I like the idea of the small jammers, but I would go a step further. I would make them small receivers that could triangulate the phone down to the actual prison cell. That way the prison could tap the conversation PLUS find the person actually using it and not just holding it.
The small receivers could also allow certain phones to freely make calls in Administrative areas. This way the Federal regulations are still observed while the prison maintains its right to monitor communications.
Is transmitting on the radio waves a civil right?
Not that I’ve ever heard. (Besides, obviously, convicts can have their civil rights abridged.)
This problem of gang leaders and crime bosses runner their operations from inside prison needs to be stopped.
In Pakistan, I’ve seen cell phones jammed very locally — like just inside the lobby of a bank. As soon as you walk a few feet out the door, the phone works fine.
My guess is that a prison could jam phones in the cell area but not other places in the facility.
Looks like they already have them jammed, some place.
I like #10’s idea. But they don’t need jammers, just several radios monitoring the cell phone frequencies. That way, as soon as an inmate makes a call, they can not only hear it but triangulate on it and find the person calling.
And unless the prison is out in the sticks, any jamming they do inside the prison is likely to affect cell phone users near the prison too.
I have a portable cell phone jammer that I carry with me to the movies and the like. It may be illegal, but it certainly makes for a much nicer theater environment. Got it from a company in England.
1 – Shut ’em down. They’re not using these things to call their moms.
2 – How exactly do they charge the batteries?
3 – The real concern (hope TSA is reading this) is that evildoers could smuggle explosives in the same way that the phones are concealed. Female evildoers would have twice as many places of concealment. It’s just a matter of time before airport security includes body cavity.
Man, having visited jails fairly regularly in the past two years, I have to wonder exactly *how* these cell phones are getting in in the first place…
While I sympathize some with inmates who are at the mercy of the telcoms (who charge outrageously exorbitant rates to make jail house/prison calls), basic security requires the jamming here. The only other ones who would be affected, at least logically, are guards’ own private cell phones… and I don’t think they should be talking on those things on the job anyhow.
Terrific photo – it really shows how desperate these prison thugs are.
“The cell phones are the most immediate threat to public safety in Texas.”
Really? No kidding? That’s amazing.
#14 in theory that works great, but prisons are understaffed by guards who don’t have to work all that hard to keep their jobs.
I’ve sat for 2 hours waiting for a visit because no guards felt like going to get the inmate. There’s no real motivation for the guards to work harder – how could they handle another responsibility?
Of course, with the promise of a good beat-down once they hone in on the signal, it might be enough of a carrot to entice them to go looking for the phone.
I don’t understand why the prison isn’t already a faraday cage. The cell phones shouldn’t work in there at all period anyway. The only thing that has to be done is the radios the guards use would touch receiving equipment in the prison that can broadcast out of the prison, so guards on the exterior of the building can communicate with the ones inside. other than that, no radio devices should ever work inside the prison period.
Some sort of Faraday cage technology seems like a good alternative to me. Especially as hard as it is for the unconfined to get a signal. It also sounds like the visitors aren’t being adequately searched either. They should fix the holes before changing laws.
Spark-gap transmitter!
So are they using the cell phones outside, or are the walls not thick enough to block a signal?
#4 How do you think the prisoners are getting the cell phones? I do not think that relying of the guards to enforce this is the way to go. Also, I am not saying that every guard is bringing in the phones. You only need a handful of corrupt guards.
“The cell phones are the most immediate threat to public safety in Texas..”.
And I thought it was the restaurants.
Why not just turn the entire prison into a faraday’s cage.
This is odd, one one hand we have people like EFF.org saying that the feds are wiretapping everyone, and on the other hand, we have a “problem” with prisoners using cell phones while in prison “commandeering crime” and the claim that money has to be allocated for and laws have to be changed to “solve the problem” by jamming their signals? Anyone see the pattern yet? It’s there, right in front of you.
Based on the picture, just how (and where) do they plant to jam the phones. Try doing that with a landline!
This is ridiculous. They jam radio and telephone frequencies on military bases, whenever it suits them. Supposedly to prevent spies from communicating military secrets, turning alerts. But REALLY, to keep most service personnel in the dark, as long as possible. Because the “outside world” usually already knows whats going on. And the brass don’t want the soldiers to get confused with the truth, before they’re officially fed the standard lies.
A few years ago, I remember hearing about movie theaters and other public places, that were considering jamming cellphones, so their patrons entertainment was uninterrupted. And at that time, there was no objection by the FCC. So why suddenly are they objecting now?!
If the government is going to come to the defense of jailbirds’ use of cellphones (essentially). Then they should provide every law abiding car owner in the US an “OnStar” box for emergency calls, that wants one. They already funded those Tv converter box. And those had nothing to do with saving lives.
I think some movie theaters used to do it before they were stopped. The tech exists but it is against the law.
They can use various tech to run down the approximate locations but then things get…messy.
I suppose in time all phones will have a tracker chip in some part that is critical and can’t be removed nor inactivated without killing the phone.