A news report about smuggled cell phone sniffing dogs used in the Arizona Department of Corrections. Highlights from the report include: The dogs spend 9 weeks — 320 hours — learning how to detect cell phones. Contraband wireless phones that can be bought for as little as $40 on the outside go for as much as $800-1,200 on the inside. They’re smuggled in by friends and family during visits, by staff, even purchased during work […]
As we have written previously, the CDCR has forgone all prison telephone commissions as part of a new contract with Global Tel*link (GTL) in return for GTL installing managed access signal (MAS) jamming systems in all 33 of the CRDR’s prison facilities. However, the California Council on Science and Technology (CCST) released a report today advising the State of California to use security screening systems, similar to those in airports, in state prisons before investing […]
Update (4/14): The DOJ just announced that it will require Federal Bureau of Prison halfway houses to boost services for inmates prior to release. The new rules also instruct federal work release facilities to provide cell phone access in order to help inmates seek employment opportunities. This blog post written by Seth Ferranti, a Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate, provides an inside view of the problem of contraband cell phones in federal prison. As we […]
This is a great article discussing the value and need for more communication between prison detainees in order to reduce recidivism. As the article states, “Phone calls can mean the difference between maintaining relationships that make leading a healthy life outside of prison or falling into a cycle of moving in and out of prison.” High cost is part of the reason for the epidemic of contraband cell phones being smuggled into prisons everywhere. There […]
This editorial on impact of budget problems in the State of South Carolina on the prison system highlights the resulting lack of resources. We have written about the search for new sources of revenue by prison systems around the country. Adequate funding for prisons is necessary for programs to reduce recidivism. As this article states, “After all, most of those who are doing prison time eventually will be released. Rehabilitation can help prepare inmates for […]
Continuing a trend to fight contraband cell phones in prisons through the deployment of managed access cell phone signal jammers, Maryland has become the latest state to investigate the technology. Maryland has received a federal grant to help fight cell phone use in prisons. The Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services announced a $2 million contract over three years with Columbia, Md.-based Tecore Networks to deploy technology known as managed access. The system […]
The CDCR recently issued a bid for its inmate telephone services and made the installation of wireless managed access jamming systems in its prisons a requirement for the bidders. Global Tel*Link (GTL) has won that bid and will therefore be bearing the cost of installing these systems. Given the high cost of this selective jamming technology and GTL’s commitment not to raise the cost of calls for prisoners, either the CDCR is taking a much […]
Another article that reinforces the value, to both detainees and their families, of frequent contact and interaction. As the article states, “For children, those meetings were important, she said, because children who have incarcerated parents have a higher risk of becoming teenage parents, dropping out of school, abusing drugs and committing a felony.” meshDETECT enables more frequent and higher quality conversations between prisoners and their loved ones through the deployment of its secure prison cell […]
An exhaustive investigation regarding the impact of gangs on New Jersey’s correctional system is described in this 2009 report we recently came upon. Of particular interest is the section we have excerpted here on the use and abuse not only of contraband cell phones, but also the authorized prison telephone system. This includes defeating 3-way call detection and exchanging PIN numbers to disguise the source of a call. Clearly, these issues continue in the New […]
Contraband cell phones smuggled into prison is a problem in jails around the world. And it will continue to be until the supply-side strategy of confiscating smuggled mobile phones is paired with a demand-side strategy of co-opting the desire for more frequent and private conversation with family and loved ones by providing a secure prison cell phone service. At least two mobile phones or SIM cards for every day are found in Liverpool’s prisons. The […]
As we have written before, a trial in a British jail has shown that in-cell telephones reduce contraband cell phone smuggling and recidivism. Now a jail in New Zealand will be installing wall phones in each of the cells of a new prison along with an advanced custodial management system. As this article states, the trial in Britain showed “significant improvements in prison security, including a marked reduction in attempts to smuggle mobile phones into […]
A video about an investigation into the contraband cell phone problem at Northern State prison in New Jersey. According to the report, “A former Northern State inmate says they’re easy to get on the inside, but not cheap. $1,500, $1,000, $1,550, it all depends. The cost all depends on whether you want just a regular cell phone or a smart phone which gives the inmate access to the internet, to its maps, directories and search […]
An article on the problems of contraband smuggling in Indiana jails discusses the unique problems posed by contraband smartphones and the access to the internet they provide prisoners. That internet access is used to update social media sites such as Facebook. The custom meshDETECT secure prison cell phones do not allow internet or social media application access. While tobacco and drugs are still popular forms of contraband among inmates, cellphones – especially smartphones – are […]
The use of wireless jammers to block contraband prison cell phones is one of the many supply-side initiatives being investigated and deployed in prisons around the world. As shown by these news items, this frequently results in the loss of cellular service for the homes and businesses located near the prisons. This calls into question the viability of using this technology to eliminate the use of contraband cell phones. Recently, in response to reports of […]
Using contraband cell phones to communicate via social media is increasingly a problem in prisons around the country. Cell phones equipped with internet access and cameras give prisoners the ability to access and post updates and images on Facebook and Twitter. As this article states, cell phones are “contraband that can fetch $1,000 in prison, or $100 to borrow for one call.” The meshDETECT secure prison cell phone solution blocks internet and camera access on […]
A new prison in Australia is proposing the installation of advanced technology in each of the cells. This will include in-cell telephones. The private prison company Serco states, “The introduction of in-cell telephones in its overseas prisons had resulted in significant improvements in prison security, including a drop in the number of prisoners trying to smuggle cellphones.” The meshDETECT secure prison cell phone solution allows existing prisons and jails to realize the same reduction in […]
According to the article below about legislative initiatives in Maryland to increase the penalties for smuggling, possessing or receiving contraband cell phones in prison, “Cell phones are a lucrative form of contraband because, unlike drugs, they have a significant and perpetual resale and rental potential and value.” With a change of mindset, cell phones can also be lucrative form of commissary revenue for prisons. By deploying a secure prison cell phone solution with all the […]
This article discusses the problems of trying to jam contraband cell phones in prison. Besides the significant cost, there are technical issues and regulatory concerns to overcome. We suggest that prisons co-opt the prison cell phone problem by supplying secure cell phones. This will eliminate the value of contraband cell phones and increase revenue through commissions rather than add unaffordable prison cell phone jammer expense. It’s not an insignificant problem. Mobile phones make their way […]
This article by David Yannetti, describes not only the criminal uses of contraband prison cell phones, but also the potentially positive effects on maintaining family ties via a managed and secure prison cell phone solution: Recent news reports highlight the challenge prison officials face in dealing with the proliferation of cell phone usage in prison across the nation. Cell phones are nominally prohibited for prisoners in all state and federal prisons, but they turn up […]
This article from the LA Times summarizes the contraband cell phone challenges the California prison system is experiencing, with no solution seemingly in sight. However, the one positive and logical approach to this issue is suggested by Najee Ali – co-opt the problem by provisioning secure prison cell phone service, much like secure payphone service is currently offered. When the nation’s most notorious mass murderer has a phone under the mattress in his cell, it’s […]
Correctional officers find eight phones at the CDCR’s Norco facility – one of them was tucked in a shoe. It was originally hidden in a deodorant container in an attempt to throw off the dogs’ scent. The canines are able to sniff through that. Inmates have tried to mask the scent of their phone with coffee, spices – even peanut butter – but the dogs keep finding their cell phones. Dogs Trained to Sniff Out […]
As we have written before, MP3 players and other revenue raising services are increasingly being introduced into prisons. The services not only help address stretched prison budgets, but also act as tools to manage prisoner behavior . The Federal Bureau of prisons is moving in this direction with its recent announcement that it will be proving MP3 players to its detainees. Providing prisoners with a secure prison cell phone service is another means of raising […]
As this article demonstrates, the use of current prison telephone systems requires prisoner movement. And prisoner movement always entails the potential risk of violence, both to guards and other prisoners. Prisoners must leave their cells to access the correctional facility wall phones. The prisoners must be accompanied to the phones by guards or, if the phones are in a prisoner common area, prisoners may congregate around the phones, increasing the risk of bullying, violence and […]
This is an interesting opinion piece on the importance of adequate state prison funding and the impact of insufficient financial resources on prison safety, correctional officer morale and prisoner recidivism. As we have written before, prison administrators are constantly seeking new sources of prison funding and frequently it is prisoners and their families whom prisons turn to for new sources of revenue. Primarily through the imposition of fees and service charges. The article mentions one […]
If prisoners can have access to MP3 players, video games, email, and cable TV, why not cell phones? After all, contraband cell phones are a huge problem. In California alone, over 15,000 smuggled cell phones were confiscated from prisoners in 2011. Clearly, there is a demand for more communication by prisoners. Why not provide them a secure prison cell phone solution that maintains all the security and forensic capabilities of prison pay phones? Access to […]
There was a brief posting on the social media site MetaFilter recently regarding the impact of the high cost of prison telecommunications services entitled “Don’t Phone Home From America’s Prisons.” Among the effects of the high cost of prison phone calls is the marked increase in contraband cell phone smuggling across the country. The comments that followed the post primarily discussed individual experiences with prison phone systems. One comment in particular caught our eye: “Jail […]
This article discusses the risk of work release prisoners smuggling contraband cell phones into prison when they return to the jail. It is widely known that many work release prisoners purchase cell phones and hide them outside the jail as well. They grab them when they leave in the morning and return them to their hiding spot on the way back to jail in the evening. The meshDETECT secure prison cell phone solution can be […]
An interesting article tackling the contentious issue of prison telephone systems vendors paying per minute commissions to jails and prisons. In Louisiana, as in other states, the rate can be as high as 55% of the per minute cost of the call. According to the article, phone commissions are an important source of revenue, state corrections officials say. The challenge is to balance the need to find sources of prison revenue to fund operations in […]
The challenge in reducing prison contraband, whether it is smuggled cell phones or drugs, is addressing not only the supply, but the demand for the contraband. As noted in the article below, “spending on substance abuse programs has fallen to $9 million from $11 million in the past two years. The demand is there, the need is there and we’re seeing much of that need being unmet.” Just as there are substance abuse programs in […]
An interesting article about the challenges of newly booked prisoners using the prison pay phones in county jails. As stated in the article, the inablity to make collect calls to cell phones, “strikes people strange that, in this technologically advanced and cellphone-reliant age, there is no easy way to make a collect call to a cellphone, particularly as the number of people without a land line increases. According to a 2010 Centers for Disease Control […]
meshDETECT, Control Contraband Cell Phones Without Investment This presentation on controlling contraband cell phones in prison provides an overview of the problem, of the supply-side strategies currently deployed and of meshDETECT’s secure prison cell phone solution. To learn more, also download our whitepaper, “Reducing the Demand for Contraband Cell Phones in Correctional Facilities.”
This article discusses the legislative initiative to make it a felony in Idaho to smuggle contraband such as cell phones into prison. One interesting fact is that the Idaho Department of Corrections confiscated a cell phone that had been used over 33,000 times in six months. As we have written before, wireless is the new prison currency, and it’s likely that some of this cell phone’s airtime was traded to other prisoners for favors and […]
A recent investigation by the Irwin County Sheriffs Department found that prison workers in the jail’s kitchen had been getting cell phones smuggled in by civilian workers. Cell phone smuggling has been a known problem in the United States jail system for over a decade now, but its surprising that the contraband items have spread to county jails where inmates are typically serving shorter sentences (less than a year). “From what I gathered, our kitchen […]
This article about contraband cell phones in the West Virginia prison system begins, “The latest iPhone won’t be among the items in any West Virginia prison’s commissary. In fact, no cellphones will be there.” What’s interesting is that there really is no reason why cell phones shouldn’t be a commissary item. As long as it a secure prison cell phone with all the controls and security offered by the traditional prison wall phones now used […]
As we have written about before, wireless airtime and contraband cell phones have become the new prison currency. According to this article, smuggled cell phones in Ohio prisons are “a commodity inside our system,” used to sell and barter, and for personal use, said Vinko Kucinic, the corrections department’s chief security-threat investigator. Gangs, he said, are “power-based. If they can control the contraband trade, they have power.” A cellphone costing $25 on the street can […]
An article discussing the steps the Mississippi DOC is taking to address the supply of contraband cell phones in its prisons. According the Department of Corrections Commissioner Christopher Epps, “Cell phones are the biggest contraband items that we have. It’s a national problem in corrections.” The article also discuss the managed access wireless signal jammer installed at the Parchman facility. The system has blocked about 1.8 million illegal cell phone calls and text messages. The […]
Each of the Wilcox State Prison’s 1,862 inmates were strip searched, then removed from their cells and placed in a holding room. Officers then entered two at a time, sometimes accompanied by a member of the K-9 unit. By the end of the shakedown, officers had confiscated 32 cell phones, 21 weapons and small amounts of marijuana and meth. Most of the items were well hidden: behind walls, in ceilings or inside of a broken […]
This news report discusses the problem of contraband cell phones smuggled into a Ghana prison. According to the article, “the most precious commodity inside the Nsawam prison today is the mobile phone.” It also states, “The use of mobile phones in our facilities has become a serious business raking in money for both inmates and prison officers.” As discussed in an earlier blog post, contraband cell phones are now seen to be the prison system’s […]
A state-wide network of Georgia ex-cons smuggled contraband cell phones into prisons on demand and at $300 per cell phone. Drugs were also smuggled into the Georgia DOC facilities. State, area and local investigators have uncovered a trail of cell phones, marijuana and tobacco that led straight to state prisons. Several people were arrested here and in Colquitt County in connection with the operation. At least one other arrest is expected in Thomas County. The […]
An interesting article about the use of video visitation in prison. We recently discussed the search for new sources of revenue by prison administrators and the positive impact of visitation on prisoner recidivism. This article highlights the use of technology to accomplish both goals. Taking these trends one step further, we can envision the time when prisoners are allowed to use the meshDETECT secure prison cell phone service to not only make and receive calls […]
Good thing she brought along a hands-free device! On Sunday, at around 12:30 p.m., a woman attempted to enter La Reforma prison in San Rafael de Alajuela with a cellphone, its charger, and a hands-free device hidden in her rectum. The woman, who was visiting one of her three incarcerated brothers, was promptly arrested, according to the daily La Nación. Earlier in the day, another woman who happened to be four months pregnant had tried […]
Yet another instance of a prisoner using a contraband cell phone with internet access to post on Facebook. The meshDETECT secure prison cell phones do not allow internet access. The sister of a murder victim is calling for Indiana prison officials to remove a Facebook profile for an inmate at the Wabash Valley Correctional Facility in Carlisle. Quintez Deloney, 20, of New Albany, is serving a 38-year sentence for a burglary that led to the […]