The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has okayed a request from 23 state attorneys general to allow state correctional facilities to use cellphone jamming technology.
While current FCC statutes prohibiting jamming are interpreted to include jamming signals within prisons, the attorneys argued in a letter sent to Brendan Carr, chairman of the FCC, that narrowly tailored technologies can disrupt illegal signals inside prison boundaries without harming service outside.
By jamming signals, the attorneys said that inmates would no longer be able to coordinate crimes, intimidate witnesses, and orchestrate violence using smuggled phones.
“This is something I and three Corrections Directors have been fighting to get passed for years,” said South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson in a statement. “Even though prisoners are not allowed to have cell phones, they get smuggled in… Federal prisons are allowed to jam cell phone signals within their walls, and it causes no problems outside, so state prisons should be allowed to do it too.”
South Carolina was the first state to apply for a permit in 2021 after the FCC adopted a rule that allowed state prisons to apply for permits to identify and shut down illegal cell signals, but the application stalled.
The CTIA, a wireless group, has long opposed jamming, warning that it could interfere with signals outside of the prison walls, stating that it has the risk of impacting public safety.
South Carolina’s release said the Department of Corrections has demonstrated jamming that confines impact to prison interiors; however, it did not provide technical specifications or testing data.
The letter urges the FCC to “modernize its regulations” and work with state and federal partners to implement any policy responsibly.
While the rule still has to undergo public comment and response from the FCC, Wilson said in a statement that he was pleased the FCC voted to pass the proposed rule.
“This is something I’ve fought for for years because criminals behind bars are using contraband cell phones to order hits, intimidate witnesses, and continue committing other crimes,” said Wilson.
States that supported the new rule included: Alabama, Alaska, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and West Virginia.