Wireless Prison Payphone™ Briefs

Here is a summary of recent news articles regarding contraband cell phones in prisons around the world. I am calling this round up of articles, “Wireless Prison Payphone™ Briefs” because this is essentially what smuggled mobile phones in jails have become – a substitute for the current wall mounted prison payphones.

South Carolina prison inmates used illegal cell phones to guide hostage rescuers: Inmates at a maximum security prison in South Carolina used illegal cell phones to guide rescuers to a guard who was being held hostage in the facility. A guard at the Lee Correctional Institution in Bishopville was rescued shortly before 10 p.m. Thursday, nearly five hours after being taken hostage. (Source)

Mobile phone a bad call for jilted inmate: When Goulburn jail inmate Adam Mansour’s love life struck trouble, he sought a lifeline. Or at least a communication line in the form of mobile phones secreted in the cell he shared with a co-accused. Mansour, 26, told Goulburn Local Court on Wednesday he used the phones after his fiancé left him to join Channel Ten series, ‘The Shire’. In his depressed state he had used the phones speak to friends and “other girls,” he told Magistrate Geraldine Beattie. He pleaded guilty to owning and using two of the four mobile phones Corrective Service officers found in a wall section behind his cell window frame. (Source)

Cereal, cracker boxes filled with contraband: A care package of cereal and cracker boxes sent to an inmate at the California Men’s Colony in San Luis Obispo this week actually included contraband, officials said. The package was filled with electronics like cellphones, Bluetooth headsets, chargers, as well as cigarettes. Corrections officers in charge of mail are trained to spot such suspicious packages, officials said. In total, 12 cellphones, 12 chargers, 300 cigarettes and 2 Bluetooth devices were reported to have been seized. (Source)

Prison thug who has had five phones confiscated taunts warders on Facebook: Ian Clark – who was jailed for nine years after he attacked a bus passenger with a pool cue – managed to sneak another device into his cell in Edinburgh’s Saughton Prison. He poked fun at the jail’s wardens in a cheeky post on the social network, saying: “BOYAH!!! we have facebook get it up the SPS. LMFAO [laughing my f****** *ss off]”. He later told pals: “Me n big Keith kickin bck think its time ti take ova this gaff lmfao.” The 25-year-old added that guards had searched his cell and found the five phones. (Source)

Cell phone booths in prison: Prisoners in Tamil Nadu are very lucky to lead a luxurious life. Take for example Coimbatore prison. Here the prisoners spend their time joyfully with all kinds of facilities. Communication with outside world is very common and allowed inside Tamil Nadu prisons. Prisoners from one prison talk with their accomplices and friends in another prison through cell phones. Cell phone facility is available in all the prisons in Tamil Nadu. In Coimbatore prison alone, there are four cell phone booths made available for the benefit of the prisoners. Prisoners are charged from Rs.50 to Rs.100 per call from these cell phone booths. To deceive the government, sometimes ‘raids’ are conducted and cell phones from some prisoners are confiscated. Cell phone jammers are installed in all the important prisons in Tamil Nadu. But these jammers are of no use and the prisoners freely communicate through cell phone. These jammers could have been deliberately switched off or the equipment itself could have been deliberately damaged to facilitate communication by the prisoners.(Source)

Potty watch – Prison system finds a new low: Readers of the Bay View are all too familiar with the horrendous conditions that characterize the California prison system – but just when it seems like things can’t get any worse, a new practice comes to our attention that is shocking and humiliating. I am referring to a practice called “contraband watch,” or “potty watch” by people inside, in which a prisoner’s excrement is examined for items perceived to be “contraband.” But weapons are not safe to swallow, so it would be hard to make the case that contraband watch is trying to find sharp objects. Drugs are ingested, at times. The claim is that sim cards are too, and cell phones are perceived to be a serious form of contraband. But in the case of contraband watch, the cure is infinitely worse than the disease. Prisoners are put into clothing that is taped shut to their bodies. Then their hands and feet are shackled, and their hands are encased in PVC tubes up to the elbows, so that they can’t use them for any purpose, on the grounds that they must be prevented from interfering with any objects that could be excreted. They are under observation for the entire time they are on CW, a minimum of 72 hours, and if the tubes are removed from one hand in order, for example, for the prisoner to eat, three guards are assigned to watch him. Three guards are again required if the prisoner does wish to have a bowel movement, which is only allowed over a bucket with the plastic bag over it. The contents are then examined… (Source)

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Brian

Managing Partner at meshIP, LLC

Brian Byrne is the founder and Managing Partner of Dallas based meshIP, a technology services firm offering cloud computing strategies and services. He is an accomplished executive with senior management experience in all facets of the technology, telecom, cloud computing, and SaaS industries. He has proven success in developing, financing and executing strategic plans as well as launching new ventures. His background includes a record of significant achievement in international business development and his credentials include a MBA in Marketing and Management Strategy from the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University, a MS from the School of Computer Science at DePaul University, and a BBA in Finance from the University of Notre Dame.

He is also the inventor of the patented meshDETECT, Secure Prison Cell Phone Solutions.

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