COLUMBIA, S.C. (WACH) — South Carolina officials are supporting a plan by the Federal Communications Commission to stop inmates from using cellphones in prisons.
The Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr announced that the FCC will be voting this month on a proposal that, for the first time, would allow prisons to jam contraband cellphones.
The FCC plan proposes a framework that would create cooperation between departments of correction and wireless carriers to implement “targeted jamming solutions”.
South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson issued the following:
Chairman Carr’s support to accomplish targeted jamming in state prisons via rule making is a critical step forward and I am hopeful the full commission will support his efforts to finally get this done. This is a matter of public safety, and if accomplished, South Carolina citizens will be safer because of it.
South Carolina Department of Corrections Director Joel Anderson issued the following statement:
South Carolina is ready to deploy this life-saving technology and make the state safe from criminals who are behind bars physically but can reach out and do harm with illegal contraband cellphones.
According to the FCC thousands of contraband cellphones have made their way into prisons across the country and inmates have been using them to call in hits and orchestrate gang activity.
A 2024 study found that prison authorities recovered more than 25,000 cell phones in just one year.
According to officials the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking will be sent to FCC Commissioners next week and voted on during the September 30th FCC Open Meeting.
