The Baja State Public Safety Secreriat announced Thursday the installation of technology at one of the main Jails in Tijuana that will inhibit inmate’s from make phone calls using mobile phones from within the prison. The 2 million dollar investment made possible the installation of 23 cellular and radio frequency inhibitors. But the inhibitors will not only not allow inmates to make outgoing cellphone calls from the jail, but all employees and visitors. The cell […]
One of the main problems with contraband cell phones smuggled into prisons is the use of the internet via these wireless devices. Detainees then use the smuggled phones to access Twitter and Facebook. The meshDETECT secure cell phone solution offers an alternative to contraband cell phones and do not have internet access or other common features such as cameras. They are uniquely provisioned for a prison environment. Call it the anti-social network! Facebook is stepping […]
Its not just smuggled cell phones in prisons that can cause problems. This case shows how even approved telecommunications services in prisons can be used for inappropriate purposes. A central Kentucky man faces 600 criminal counts charging he made phone calls from his jail cell to a girl younger than 16 who he is accused of raping. A district judge on Wednesday sent the commonwealth’s case against 29-year-old Steven Smith to a Madison County grand […]
The National Geographic’s Hard Time TV series most recent episode is about smuggled prison cell phones. It’s called Cellphone War and below are some facts from the show. The meshDETECT secure cell phone service addresses the legitimate inmate desire for family contact and therefore reduces the contraband value of smuggled prison cell phones. CELL PHONE WAR FACTS: Did you know that the ownership of a cell phone behind bars is prohibited in both state and […]
Armed with only an illegal cellphone and a cadre of secret shoppers, an inmate at the nation’s largest single federal prison was able to coordinate upwards of $1 million in credit card fraud in the outside world. According to a rather exhaustive piece in the Cleveland Plain-Dealer, the inmate, already serving time in New Jersey for credit card fraud, would spend up to 17 hours a day on his phone, calling directory assistance to ask […]
This article is a discussion of the problem of contraband cell phones in Ohio prisons. Same issues as everywhere else with the same lack of solutions. However, a secure cell phone service is a solution to the contraband prison cell phone problem. With meshDETECT, the demand for illegal wireless devices is reduced, thereby reducing the contraband value of smuggled cell phones for those who supply them. That means less reward for the same risk and […]
Larry Stone made a phone call from the Lake County Jail that would typically cost about $20, but it didn’t go through. The charge was supposed to be refunded to his inmate account. But, the 32-year-old checked his balance and discovered his account now had more money than before the call. He made another call and hung up to test his luck. Again, more money magically appeared. He repeated the exercise 77 times, exploiting the […]
Relatives who came to visit security prisoners at Sheeta Prison in northern Israel tried to smuggle 12 cell phones into the jail for the prisoners’ use. Five families were involved in the smuggling attempt, which was foiled by the Israeli Prisons Authority. Voice of Israel government-run radio reported that the phones were hidden inside six large books. The books aroused the jailors’ suspicion and were found to contain newfangled phones. The families’ visiting rights were […]
Perhaps Bexar County Jail should re-examine its policy on allowing guards to bring in food, a judge suggested this week as two ex-jailers were convicted in separate courtrooms for smuggling contraband. State District Judge Sid Harle made the comment Monday as he sentenced former jailer William Douglas Hemphill, 33, to five years’ deferred adjudication for smuggling a cell phone to an inmate in a box of ramen noodles. Two months earlier, Harle had sentenced ex-jailer […]
This decision is interesting for a number of reasons. First, it acknowledges that implementing in prison the technologies that are in common use outside of prison can reduce contraband, improve detainee behavior and guard safety; all while raising revenue for the DOC. We believe the meshDETECT secure cell phone service will accomplish the same goals. However, using our secure cell phones to access email or MP3s is operationally much more efficient and cost effective by […]
This article discusses the methods by which prisoners can currently make telephone calls in a Dayton, OH county jail. An interesting quote from the article is, “Monies made from jail commissary sales, including calling cards, are utilized to support the current jail inmate population.” The meshDETECT secure prison cell phone service is another means by which prisoners can stay in contact with friends and family. It also provides a revenue stream for cash-strapped prison systems […]
Kershaw County traffic officers made a prison contraband seizure while patrolling on I-20 Saturday. Deputies say they conducted a traffic stop on Reco Maurice Bell of Columbia. A routine driver’s license check indicated that Bell was driving under suspension and operating an uninsured vehicle, said Kershaw County Sheriff Jim Matthews. While interviewing Bell, deputies noticed two duffel bags on the rear seat of his vehicle and asked for permission to search. The officers said in […]
It seems at some prisons, almost anything can be smuggled in and in this prison contraband cell phones are the least of the of the problems. Prison officials have opened an inquiry into an embarrassing photo report that shows prisoners throwing a Roman-themed party complete with togas and fake swords, as well as tequila and caviar, right in a cell. The photos were leaked Monday by the tabloid news site Lifenews.ru, which said they depicted […]
Inmates of the La Reforma prison in Alajuela, Costa Rica have been the subject of frequent checks by prison officials following the failed prison break of May 11 and a report indicating major problems in the prison, mainly of the smuggling of contraband like cellular phones and drugs. Every Sunday prison officials review some 4.000 visitors, some attempting to smuggle contraband into the prison. Last Sunday a pregnant woman, as well as two other women, […]
Here are two great insights into the demand for contraband prison cell phones and the desire for communication via telephone service in general in the nation’s State prisons. The meshDETECT secure cell phone service is a solution that reduces the contraband value of smuggled cell phones while improving detainees’ ability to communicate with family and friends: Securus Technologies, an inmate telephone service provider, recently stated that the company “now completes over 120 million calls from […]
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu announced that Israel would be toughening the conditions of imprisonment for terrorists but some jailors, it seems, did not “get the memo.” According to the Yisrael Hayom newspaper, two jailors have been caught smuggling cell phones to imprisoned terrorists. A third reported being offered a bribe for a similar action. One jailor was arrested recently and questioned by the Unit for Investigating Jailors on suspicion he smuggled cell phones to Hadarim […]
This article looks at the impact incarceration and separation has on the children of prisoners. The article states, “Sending a copy of the school report to the prison, for example, or arranging a phone call with a jailed parent, can help prisoners remain engaged with their child’s progress at school.” One of the great features of the meshDETECT secure prison cell phone service is the ability for prisoners to receive inbound phone calls in jail. […]
The state of California is trying to keep prison inmates from getting cell phones. Charles Manson has been caught with them twice. Now one state senator wants to try something new to cut off prison cell service.
Another prison, another guard, another contraband cell phone… A Corrections Officer has been arrested and charged for his alleged participation in delivering contraband to an inmate. The Western Correctional Institution (WCI) Officer is facing termination after prison intelligence officers suspected he was attempting to bring contraband to an inmate and notified local and federal law enforcement authorities. Officer Brian Hawk, 33, a 9 year veteran of the Division of Corrections is now faces charges of […]
Two cell phones were discovered last week at the Federal Corrections Institution in Seagoville, NBCDFW has learned. FCI Seagoville executive assistant Jeff Butler would not elaborate how the phones may have gotten there. “We investigate all allegations,” Butler said during a phone interview Thursday. “This is still under investigation.” Operations at the federal prison are back to normal after guards worked for several days to locate all the smuggled phones. The prison in Seagoville is […]
Another article about the corrupting influence of contraband such as cell phones on guards in prison. Interestingly, this guard, “charged $200 to get drugs into the jail, $200 for a carton of cigarettes and $250 for a cell phone.” Is the ability to communicate with loved ones while in jail more valuable to prisoners than drugs or cigarettes? On Monday a former District of Columbia Department of Corrections officer pleaded guilty to charges of accepting […]
An article discussing a New Zealand prison’s plans to install landlines in each prisoner’s cell, similar to what has been done in two British prisons. The reason it is being considered is because, according to the article, “Evidence shows that prisoners are less likely to re-offend if they keep in touch with their families and have good family support when they are released.” Wouldn’t a secure prison cell phone service like meshDETECT be a simpler […]
Contraband cell phones are big business in state and federal prisons. Unfortunately the only ones making money off the smuggled wireless devices are the corrupt guards and the prisoners who cell airtime to other prisoners. Clearly it is time to consider a different approach. One that co-opts the legitimate demand to stay in contact with loved ones and provides a secure cell phone service to reduce the contraband value of smuggled prison cell phones. A […]
This article on California’s contraband prison cell phone problem speaks for itself…But a key statement is, “Both prison officials and inmates we spoke with agreed that a large majority of inmates are using the phones to stay in contact with loved ones.” A secure prison cell phone service will reduce the contraband value of smuggled cell phones and allow detainees to keep in contact with loved ones. The smuggling of cell phones into California’s state […]
Another report on the international issue of contraband prison cell phones, this time from India. This prison will up its number of cell phone jammers from 9 to 23 to combat smuggled wireless phones. However 80 cell phone jammers are really needed Illegal use of mobile phones in Asia’s largest prison requires more than 80 jammers to combat it, yet the prison is equipped with only nine. This was brought to the notice of Delhi […]
This article regarding the rate increase for Michigan’s state prisoner telephone services offers the following insight, “Criminologists report that prisoners with strong social bonds are less likely to re-offend or exhibit anti-social behavior. Prisoners able to talk more with their families display the higher signs of rehabilitation than prisoners who converse less frequently.” A secure prison cell phone service would increase the ability of prisoners to communicate with their families while reducing the contraband value […]
This brief article mentions that 104 contraband prison cell phones had a prison value of $50,000. That’s $480 per smuggled prison cell phone. Ironwood State Prison (ISP) Warden Timothy Busby announced the donation of 104 cell phones, cell phone chargers and other cell phone related items to the “Cell Phone for Soldiers” Organization. It was founded in 2004 and it turns old cell phones into prepaid calling cards for U.S. troops stationed overseas. They are […]
The California legislation making the possession of contraband prison cell phones a crime has been approved in committee. Will this stop the flow of smuggled cell phones into jails? Has the fact that drugs are illegal stopped them from being smuggled in to jails and prisons across the country? Senate Bill 26, authored by Senator Alex Padilla (D-Pacoima), was approved by the Assembly Public Safety Committee today on a unanimous bipartisan vote. SB 26 would […]
More evidence of the worldwide nature of the contraband prison cell phone problem, this time from Costa Rica. A police raid at Costa Rica’s La Reforma prison turns up large amounts of contraband, and reveals criminal networks operating within the jail. Police on Thursday seized 580 homemade knives, large quantities of liquor, marijuana and crack, cellphones and other forbidden items during a raid at Costa Rica’s trouble-plagued La Reforma prison 20 km northwest of the […]
Contraband cell phones in prison are on a par with drugs in terms of the ability to corrupt guards. Prison guards who smuggle contraband cell phones into jails do so because of the high price placed on smuggled wireless phones. Reducing the contraband value of cell phones by offering a secure prison cell phone service minimizes the temptation to smuggle in the first place. The Fulton County Sheriff expects more arrests of his staff before […]
A new law has been passed to ban cell phones in prison cells in Rhode Island. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Michael J. McCaffrey and Rep. Raymond H. Johnston Jr. sponsored the bill that makes it illegal for prisoners to possess “any portable electronic communication device.” Under the new law, inmates caught using a cell phone can be punished by a $5,000 fine, a maximum penalty of five more years added on to their prison sentence, […]
This article provides an update on contraband prison cell phone legislation in California. According to the article smuggled cell phone usage in state prisons has recently exploded. Nearly 11,000 cell phones were found in state prisons in 2010, compared to 261 in 2006. The phones can fetch up to $1,000 each in prison. A bill aimed at curbing widespread cell phone proliferation in state prisons is on its way to the state Assembly after clearing […]
The following editorial is a response to one written earlier regarding contraband prison cell phone signal jamming. In it the author, an official of the Maryland DOC states, “Corrections systems must invest, innovate, develop partnerships and educate themselves in order to gain the necessary capabilities to fight this problem.” This is very true, but all the approaches he mentions are related to smuggled cell phone interdiction and detection. None of the solutions contemplate proactively reducing […]
The Michigan DOC is changing prison pay phone vendors and increasing the price of a prison phone call. Some of the increased revenue generated by the new phone rates will be used to install cell phone jammers to thwart smuggled contraband cell phones. The corrections department had contracted with Kansas-based EMBARQ. That contract expired in 2009 but the company agreed to continue service until the department found a new vendor, Cordell said. EMBARQ offered the […]
This is an older article, but it is interesting for the perspective it gives on the problem of contraband cell phones smuggled into the prisons of Europe. As in the U.S., jamming cell phone signals is the primary approach being considered to eliminate smuggled prison cell phones. Drugs and weapons aren’t the only contraband in prisons these days. The latest underground currency among inmates is an item most of us consider harmless: the cell phone. […]
Here is a video report on the problems with contraband prison cell phones smuggled into Texas jails:
A secure prison cell phone service would reduce the contraband value of the smuggled cell phones in the Texas prison where this took place. Janet Watts, 47, Houston, Texas, was sentenced to a term of nineteen years in the state penitentiary in connection with a 2007 scheme where she was involved in sending cash by wire to a prison guard convicted of bringing cell phones into the unit where Watt’s son was in custody. Over […]
Contraband prison cell phones in the Bahamas. It is a problem there, as it is globally. Prison officials confiscated 240 cell phones from inmates at Her Majesty’s Prisons between January to May despite best efforts to block the use of the contraband material. The Ministry of National Security plans to soon install a system to stop mobile phone signals without disrupting cellular service to surrounding neighbourhoods. “The unauthorised use of cell phones within prisons continues […]
The smuggling and illegal use of contraband cell phones in prisons in the United States has corrections administrators and officers at a disadvantage as wireless detection technologies have not kept pace with the surge in illegal cell phones in prisons. It is estimated that over 10,000 illegal cell phones were seized during 2010 in California state prisons alone. Signal jamming technologies are proving to be too expensive, and the time and cost demands on prison […]
An update on the contraband prison cell phone legislation currently being considered in California. According to the article, S.B. 26 is Senator Padilla’s fourth attempt to criminalize smuggling and possession of cellphones in prison. A quote from the article, “This cell phone issue is a huge problem in our prison system, and (S.B. 26) is a good start to begin to address it” is no doubt accurate, but the law should be augmented by a […]
The California Senate voted unanimously Thursday to make smuggling a cellphone into prison a misdemeanor crime with up to a $5,000 fine – a bill similar to one that former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed as too weak. The senator who carried last year’s legislation, Los Angeles Democrat Alex Padilla, is also carrying this year’s version, Senate Bill 26. It was sent to the Assembly on a 39-0 vote. Prison authorities annually seize thousands of contraband […]
More proof that contraband cell phones in prisons is not just a problem in the United States. Prison guards have seized and confiscated 50 cell phones, being smuggled into Ketziot Prison for Palestinian prisoners, Israel Radio said on Thursday. Israeli authorities detained three suspects, two Israelis and a Palestinian, involved in smuggling cell phones to political prisoners, according to the radio. The 50 cell phones were hidden in the food provisions sent to the inmates […]