Federal law currently bans states from using jamming technology, which blocks signals from getting in or out of prison walls.
COLUMBIA, S.C. — State officials in South Carolina have long pushed for the ability to jam contraband cell phones inside prisons. A new federal proposal could soon make that possible.
State leaders say contraband phones pose a serious threat, allowing inmates to run crimes from behind bars.
Federal law currently bans states from using jamming technology, which blocks signals from getting in or out of prison walls.
The Federal Communications Commission is now weighing a plan to lift that ban, giving states the power to jam cellphones in prisons nationwide. Gov. Henry McMaster has supported the move, saying it would “make communities safer.”
But some experts caution that the technology could have unintended consequences. Many inmates that use phones don’t use them for crime, but to communicate with loved ones on outside, according to Hayden Smith, a criminology and criminal justice professor at the University of South Carolina.
“They’re documenting civil rights violations. It’s a lifeline home, and that the jamming technologies are not perfect. They can influence cell phone access in the surrounding areas and neighborhoods. They’re not always targeted. They’re not always reliable.”
South Carolina currently uses a cell phone interdiction program, which can locate and disable a phone signal inside a prison, but it can take two to three days. Corrections officials say that process is time consuming and not always effective, capturing about 75 to 80% of communications.
Blocking signals don’t necessarily stop crime, says Smith.
“There’s been isolated events such as targeting officers and criminal enterprises that are coming from prisons, but there’s actually no evidence that those same criminal events couldn’t happen without a cell phone, such as through visitation communications beyond the cell phone,” he said.
According to the agency, the plan would create a new framework for prisons to work with wireless carriers on targeted jamming technology while ensuring nearby communities are not impacted.
In a statement, South Carolina Department of Corrections Communications Director Joel Anderson said, “South Carolina is ready to deploy this life-saving technology to make the state safe from criminals who are behind bars physically but can reach out and do harm with illegal contraband cellphones.”
The FCC is scheduled to vote on the proposal at its September 30 meeting.
