Prison Cell Phone Smuggling Out of Control 428
Hugh Pickens writes writes "KCRA reports that the number of contraband cell phones discovered in California state prisons has exploded as prison guards, staff and vendors are cashing in on smuggled phones that can fetch between $200 and $800. Although the large majority of inmates are using the phones to stay in contact with loved ones, there have been documented cases of escape attempts, drug deals and conference calls coordinated via smuggled cell phones. 'The potential is there for the worst kind of activity,' says Folsom Prison Warden Rick Hill. Even Charles Manson has been caught with a cellphone smuggled to him. 'We know the problem is out of control,' says State Senator Alex Padilla, who has proposed making such smuggling illegal in hopes of stopping the continued rise of contraband cell phones in prison."
Proposed? (Score:4, Interesting)
Wait... does this mean that it's not illegal to smuggle certain things into prisons?
A "problem?" (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:Cell Phone Jammers? (Score:5, Interesting)
Cell phone jammers are illegal. Federal law, state law can't override it.
Granted, the law could be changed (with an exception added for cell phone jammers in jails), but it hasn't happened yet. It might soon, if there's enough of a cry out for it.
Re:Proposed? (Score:4, Interesting)
Wait... does this mean that it's not illegal to smuggle certain things into prisons?
In general there are three categories of laws. Infractions, misdemeanors and felonies. At the lower categories the penalty may only be a fine, maybe a relatively small one. Perhaps the legislation is upping the category and/or the penalty.
Deregulation (Score:5, Interesting)
A thought:
Stop making it difficult and expensive for inmates to make regular phone calls. Then the only people left wanting cell phones will be those who want it for criminal activities, which will make your investigations more effective (even if they are successful less often).
In addition, though I'm no economist, I have to wonder if that wouldn't cause the remaining cell phone prices to go up, hopefully out of the accessibility range of at least a few people who would use them for criminal purposes (discounting the idea that contacting your family in a manner not approved by the prison might be illegal).
That's the part I care about. Now, the rant:
As someone living in the U.S., I think we need a dialogue on what we believe prison should be *for*, especially if there's some data to back up various methods in light of our desired goals. For example, we know that there is a high rate of re-offence among people who have been in prison. How does restricting contact among family and friends affect that? Does it prevent the inmate from seeking connections anywhere but among fellow criminals? Does having access raise people's sense of injustice and make them more likely to re-offend? Is there an interaction between this and some other social factor?
This dialogue needs to extend to treatment of prisoners. What do we really want the outcome to be? Is it overall better for our society to focus on discouraging people to go to prison, rehabilitation once they are there, or a combination (and in what proportions?).
Perhaps most importantly, the dialogue needs to contain the topic of whether the current system is working, and if the outcomes we get are on par with our desires and what we see in other countries.
m!
Re:Why not just install some phones? (Score:5, Interesting)
Don't capture phones, capture the concersations! (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:Cell Phone Jammers? (Score:5, Interesting)
What about cellphone detectors. I’m sure there is a technology that can detect and triangulate the radiation spewing from those things. And they are probably less illegal than jammers.
I suspect a lot of the stuff that gets smuggled into prisons comes from or is aided by underpaid prison staff (I really think it’s amazing how little they make considering the risk they take) either directly or indirectly. I don’t see how this kind of stuff could make it in, in the quantities that it does, without at least a little help. Even if you came up with a good technical way to stop the cellphone problem, all it takes is one guard to look the other way, and it’s defeated.
Then again I’ve never been to prison nor been a corrections officer... so I admit I have no clue how stuff actually works there.
Re:It is NOT illegal?! (Score:2, Interesting)
The one guy in prison that I've ever corresponded with pointed out that he was allowed to have TWO pieces of stationery, two envelopes, and two stamps at any given time. Apparently having any more than that supply was a *serious* infraction. He wasn't even in prison for anything violent. I can imagine that having a cell phone or anything else not approved (i.e., not issued to the prison by the prison) could lead to really serious consequences.