An article describing some of the technical problems with contraband cell phone jamming in a prison. Unlike the managed access systems used in the United States, this Cayman Islands implementation blocks all cellular signals. Except, it doesn’t. According to the article, “Government officials confirmed Wednesday the cell jamming equipment had not been working in all areas of the prison or at certain times, largely due to the proximity of a telecommunications tower next to the […]
Prison Cell Phones
289 posts
A very interesting interview with the Georgia Department of Corrections Commissioner, Brian Owens on the problem of contraband cell phones in prisons. Provocative quotes from the interview: “Cell phones in prison are simply a matter of power, money and gangs.” “Illegal cell-phone use in Georgia prisons has developed to “epidemic” proportions and is now the system’s greatest safety threat.” Interestingly, the interview did not include any discussion of deploying demand-side solutions such as a secure […]
We agree that unmonitored contraband cell phones don’t belong in prison cells, but we believe that a secure prison cell phone solution such as meshDETECT can not only reduce the demand for smuggled cell phones but also enhance safety, decrease recidivism and increase prison revenues. Download our whitepaper “Reducing the Demand for Contraband Cell Phones in Correctional Facilities” to learn more. Sarah Pender orchestrated her escape from Rockville Correctional Facility in 2008 using contraband cellphones […]
Deputies in South Carolina say a woman used two hollowed-out Bibles to try to smuggle drugs, a cell phone and weapons to a prison inmate. Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition? Sheriff Barry Faile said Monday authorities began investigating 28-year-old Shareca Latoya Jones earlier this month after a package mailed to Lieber Correctional Institution was returned to a post office in Lancaster. Inside the package were two Bibles containing razor knives, a cell phone, […]
Contraband cell phones are a problem in Canada as well as the US. As this article describes, one method of getting the contraband into a prison is to throw it over the prison fence. Staff at a federal prison in central Alberta have intercepted a package of illegal drugs and contraband cellphones intended for inmates inside. Correctional officers at Bowden Institution, 40 kilometres south of Red Deer, found the contraband during a perimeter check about […]
Contraband cell phones are being blamed for this incident in a Georgia prison. According to the prison commissioner, “Every day we fight the battle of keeping cell phones and other contraband out of our facilities. While some believe supplying an inmate with a cell phone is useful to contact family and friends, in most cases, the opposite is proven. Inmates are using cell phones to commit additional crimes and carry out gang activity. This incident […]
The problem of contraband cell phones in prison is not limited to unmonitored phone calls. Internet access via smuggled smartphones allows prisoners to harass victims and witnesses via social networks like Facebook. The meshDETECT secure prison cell phone solution has no internet access or camera capabilities. Lisa Gesik hesitates to log into her Facebook account nowadays because of unwanted “friend” requests, not from long-ago classmates but from the ex-husband now in prison for kidnapping her […]
An interesting article about the growth of gangs in prison in Idaho and the increase in smuggled contraband cell phones as a result. Part of the strategy, as in other states such as California, is a legistative initiative to increase the penalty for smuggling cell phones. The article quotes an official, “We want to make it a felony to introduce cellphones within a prison. If they can make calls without going through the monitored phone […]
This article discusses a project that allows prisoners to share and communicate with the outside world. It is widely accepted that communication with family and loved ones is a key to eliminating recidivism. Any program that can safely and effectively improve the means and frequency of prisoner contact with the outside world is worth supporting. Reentry and reform can take root when prisoners are able to maintain connections with their families and communities. One website […]
An interesting look at prison life in Massachusetts. The article states that there are only three inmate phones for over 800 prisoners. By providing a secure cell phone solution such as meshDETECT, the prison can significantly increase detainee access to their families while limiting the safety risks of the prisoner movement necessary to get the prisoners to the pay phones. It’s where no one wants to go. The shower floors are scarred from the blades […]