In a significant move aimed at bolstering security and public safety, Attorney General Anthony G. Brown has rallied with a bipartisan coalition of 31 state attorneys general to advocate for the passage of federal legislation that would permit the use of cell phone jamming technology in U.S. prisons. The proposed bills, H.R. 2350 and S. 1137, seek to empower states to disrupt the operations of contraband cell phones within correctional facilities, which are often used by inmates to commit crimes from behind bars.
Highlighting the severe implications of contraband cell phones, Attorney General Brown emphasized their role in facilitating a range of criminal activities including drug trafficking, orchestrating violence, running fraud schemes, intimidating witnesses, and even plotting escapes. “Contraband cell phones are a direct threat to public safety, allowing dangerous individuals to continue their criminal activities from inside the walls of our prisons,” Brown stated.
The technology in question works by emitting signals that interfere with mobile phone communication, effectively rendering them useless within the range of the jammer. This method ensures that only the phones in the specified areas are affected, without disrupting emergency services like 911 calls.
The urgency of the matter is underscored by a 2020 survey across 20 state corrections departments which found 25,840 contraband cell phones in just one year. A notable case in Maryland involved a major contraband smuggling operation at Roxbury Correctional Institution in Hagerstown, where a cell phone was used to orchestrate a complex identity fraud scheme.
The bipartisan nature of the support for this legislation reflects its importance for public safety, transcending party lines. The coalition, including attorneys general from states as diverse as Alabama, Texas, Oregon, and New Hampshire, among others, has issued a collective call to Congress to pass these bills promptly within the year.
As states await legislative action, the potential for prisons to become less conducive to criminal orchestrations hangs in the balance, promising a significant step forward in the ongoing fight against organized crime within the nation’s correctional facilities.
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