BENNETTSVILLE, S.C. (WPDE) — Some neighbors in Marlboro County have a lot of questions as to why they can’t make a call on their cell phones from inside their homes.
They all seem to think it has something to do with a nearby state prison’s efforts to keep inmates from using cell phones.
About four families reached out to ABC 15, all with the same complaint.
They all live off of Saddlebrook Road, which is across from Evans Correctional Institution in Bennettsville.
The community members are frustrated that they can’t make any calls.
Rita McCollum, 71, said she’s tried over and over to call anyone on her cell phone, but calls aren’t going through.
“My husband has to go all the way out to the street. On the highway to use the phone we cannot use our phones. And we need our phones. We are taxpayers. And the reason we don’t know,” said McCollum.
Katrina McRae lives in the community and said she’s in the same boat.
McRae worries about what will happen in the event of an emergency.
“If you get on the phone, it will tell you service has been suspended. And, if you get on the phone, it might cut off. For my daughter, only way she can talk is on Wi-Fi through FaceTime. Period and some people can only receive text messages. And that’s not right because if somebody gets sick out there, how can we call 911?” said McRae.
ABC 15’s Tonya Brown tried making a call from McCollum’s home and couldn’t get a call to go through.
A recording said, “our account is currently suspended. Please try to contact customer support.”
The neighbors said they noticed a different piece of equipment that went up last week on the roof of the prison.
They question if it could be to blame.
“Something up there, and I haven’t been seeing it. I don’t know what it is,” said
ABC 15 reached out to the S.C. Department of Corrections.
Officials sent the following statement:
“SCDC is investigating the issue to determine if anything connected to the prison is causing an issue for the neighborhood.”
SCDC officials said they plan to send a crew back out Thursday to talk with community members.
McCrae said some neighbors have already been questioned about their cell phones not working.
McCollum and McRae said they’ve paid their cell phone bills and the phones work everywhere else, just not in their homes.
“It ain’t the phone company. Ain’t no way is the phone company and everybody’s phone messing up,” said McCollum.
Under federal law, the Federal Communications Commission prohibits state and local prisons from using cell phone jamming technology, despite it being utilized in federal institutions.
