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 […]
cell phones
25 posts
Illinois becomes the latest state DOC to investigate the use of legislation and technology to block the use of smuggled cell phones in prison. Although the use of contraband cell phones seems to be less of a problem than in other large inmate population states. That’s the latest message from state officials, who are poised to start cracking down on people who try to smuggle portable phones into prison. Faced with the prospect that inmates […]
Recent statistics show that, on average, a day in state prison costs nearly $80 Cash-strapped states have increasingly turned to user fees to fund their criminal justice systems, as well as to provide general budgetary support. States now charge defendants for everything from probation supervision, to jail stays, to the use of a constitutionally-required public defender. Every stage of the criminal justice process, it seems, has become ripe for a surcharge. These “user fees” differ […]
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 […]
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 […]
This article discusses the use of K9 to detect smuggled cell phones in a Tulsa prison. The article quotes a prison official as saying, “Cell phones are a way for them to communicate without us listening.” The meshDETECT secure prison cell phone solution records each call and gives corrections officials the ability to monitor detainee conversations during and after the call itself. The Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office added a new deputy to the force. Baxy, […]
This article discusses funds awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) of the U. S. Department of Justice to Maryland to reduce smuggled contraband cell phones in Baltimore prisons. It is interesting that the funds are not being used to purchase wireless signal jammers (the usual strategy for funds granted to address the contraband cell phone problem), but to hire DPSCS investigators and State’s Attorney staff. Of note is that there is no mention […]
Providing prisoners secure cell phones is an idea whose time has come. The latest British prison to provide land-line phones in prison cells to control the contraband cell phone problem is being chosen for a trial of service. This is after a similar successful trial in a private UK prison. According to the article, the reason for this latest initiative is, “to stamp out the illegal use of mobiles in prisons and the flourishing black […]
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 […]
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 […]