COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Federal officials this week oversaw the trial can a South Carolina jail of a cellphone mark jamming technique that some expect will aid pains the threaten posed by inmates with smuggled cellphones, officials told The Associated Press.
The trial took lay above the lesson of five days at a housing unit can broad brook Correctional Institution, a maximum-security jail at Columbia, South Carolina, according ought department of honesty officials. Assistant attorney normal Beth Williams told AP it's the first time federal officials dine collaborated with officials can a people jail although such a test.
Officials did no free the results of the test, which will exist included at a afterward illustrate ought exist done by the National Telecommunications and data Administration.
The trial marks promote above the state-level quest ought stamp out contraband cellphone use, which officials dine expect said represents the peak security threaten within their institutions. Micro-jamming technique was tested final year can a federal jail - where officials said they were capable ought finish down phone signals internal a jail cell, still devices nearly 20 feet (6 meters) away worked normally - besides a decades-old fundamental says people or local agencies don't dine the authority ought press the public airwaves.
South Carolina Corrections Director Bryan Stirling, who although years has spoken out above the dangers posed by the devices smuggled into institutions by the thousands, told AP he was recently deputized although a special deputy U.S. Marshal, hence giving him the federal status needed ought accompany the jamming test.
"I'm too encouraged by what we witnessed can broad brook this week," Stirling told AP above Friday, adding that he's optimistic nearly federal legislation, introduced final month, that used to grant people jail officials the genius ought press signals.
In 2008, South Carolina officials received a waiver from the Federal Communications committee ought accompany a jamming trial can a different maximum-security prison, at a parade although media and other officials besides no at a jail dorm.
Stirling and other people jail directors utilize other measures - although perimeter netting, monitoring by drone, and scanners - ought find cellphones besides induce a jamming technique that used to finish down total signals although the best feasible defense.
In 2017, Stirling testified can a FCC hearing at Washington alongside Robert Johnson, a preceding South Carolina corrections officer nearly killed at 2010 at a overthrow orchestrated by an inmate using an illegal phone.
Also that year, an inmate escaped from a maximum-security jail at South Carolina, thanks at separate ought a smuggled cellphone. at 2018, seven inmates can a maximum-security South Carolina jail were killed at what officials dine said was a people battle above domain and contraband including cellphones.
The FCC has shown willingness ought career above the issue, holding a sphere hearing at South Carolina and hosting meetings with members of Congress, prisons officials and stakeholders from the wireless industry.
On Friday, Williams said officials are working ought insure prisons dine technological options ought aid them pains the smuggled devices.
"It is too difficult ought create sure that no contraband gets in," Williams told AP. "We test although difficult although we can, besides it's truly difficult ought interval everything."
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Meg Kinnard can exist reached can http://twitter.com/MegKinnardAP
