COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Federal officials this week oversaw the examination at a South Carolina jail of a cellphone symbol jamming technique that some desire will assist battle the peril posed by inmates with smuggled cellphones, officials told The Associated Press.
The examination took put above the lecture of five days at a housing unit at broad brook Correctional Institution, a maximum-security jail at Columbia, South Carolina, according ought rescue of integrity officials. Assistant lawyer general Beth Williams told AP it's the first time federal officials scan collaborated with officials at a condition jail during such a test.
Officials did no liberate the results of the test, which will be included at a afterward explain ought be done by the National Telecommunications and information Administration.
The examination marks progress above the state-level quest ought stamp out contraband cellphone use, which officials scan wish said represents the peak security peril within their institutions. Micro-jamming technique was tested final year at a federal jail - where officials said they were able ought end down phone signals interior a jail cell, however devices nearly 20 feet (6 meters) away worked normally - cabin a decades-old regulation says condition or local agencies don't scan the authority ought jam the public airwaves.
South Carolina Corrections Director Bryan Stirling, who during years has spoken out above the dangers posed by the devices smuggled into institutions by the thousands, told AP he was recently deputized during a special delegate U.S. Marshal, therefore giving him the federal condition needed ought direct the jamming test.
"I'm same encouraged by what we witnessed at broad brook this week," Stirling told AP above Friday, adding that he's optimistic nearly federal legislation, introduced final month, that used to give condition jail officials the genius ought jam signals.
In 2008, South Carolina officials received a waiver from the Federal Communications committee ought direct a jamming examination at a different maximum-security prison, at a parade during media and other officials cabin no at a jail dorm.
Stirling and other condition jail directors employ other measures - although perimeter netting, monitoring by drone, and scanners - ought discover cellphones cabin lawyer a jamming technique that used to end down total signals during the best feasible defense.
In 2017, Stirling testified at a FCC hearing at Washington alongside Robert Johnson, a preceding South Carolina corrections officer almost killed at 2010 at a strike orchestrated by an inmate using an illegal phone.
Also that year, an inmate escaped from a maximum-security jail at South Carolina, thanks at isolate ought a smuggled cellphone. at 2018, seven inmates at a maximum-security South Carolina jail were killed at what officials scan said was a masses battle above field and contraband including cellphones.
The FCC has shown willingness ought trade 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 ensure prisons scan technological options ought assist them battle the smuggled devices.
"It is same difficult ought revolve certain that no contraband gets in," Williams told AP. "We attempt during difficult during we can, cabin it's indeed difficult ought cease everything."
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Meg Kinnard can be reached at http://twitter.com/MegKinnardAP
