Contraband Cell Phones Gone Viral From Prisons

In today’s “instant news Internet,” as soon as a story breaks, it is everywhere. In spite of excellent security records, the more “sensational” the story, the faster it travels damaging public perception and internal effectiveness. Here are just a few example of contraband phone headlines:

How Gangs Took Over Prisons

In 2015 approximately 7,600 cell phones were seized in Georgia prisons alone. The director the Office of Investigations and Compliance said they were only caught half of the phones. Read the full article in The Atlantic

Half of All Contraband Cell Phones Make it Into Prisons

This CBS 46 article explains an incident of how contraband cell phones entered a prison by throwing a cell phone over the wall inside a dead cat.

A Sex Offender in an Oklahoma Prison

Man was caught possessing a cell phone eight times over 21 months starting in early 2012. Read story.

Cell Phones in the Wrong Hands

Cell phones in the hands of convicted criminals pose a danger to staff, other inmates and the public outside the prison. Unfortunately, far too many of them escape detection. But, in an Indiana prison, a representative reported a single inmate caught with three phones in less than two weeks.

Combating contraband cell phones in correctional facilities takes a committed, trained staff. With the right equipment including cell phone detection systems an impact is made.

Do All Calls From Prisons Originate From Contraband?

• It is possible for inmates to get their hands on authorized devices through corruption or manipulating prison staff.

• Cellular technology is  evolving. New wireless technology can  outpace MAS equipment.

• Several North American wireless carriers advocate using both managed access and detection.

• Radio frequency leakage could interfere with regular cellphone usage. It affects the public’s access to 911 operators.