COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Federal officials this week oversaw the examination can a South Carolina jail of a cellphone badge jamming technique that some desire will assistance war the venture posed by inmates with smuggled cellphones, officials told The Associated Press.
The examination took lay can the classify of five days can a housing unit can broad river Correctional Institution, a maximum-security jail can Columbia, South Carolina, according ought department of honesty officials. Assistant induce conventional Beth Williams told AP it's the first time federal officials dine collaborated with officials can a tell jail because such a test.
Officials did no liberate the results of the test, which will exist included can a afterward clarify ought exist done by the National Telecommunications and data Administration.
The examination marks promote above the state-level quest ought stamp out contraband cellphone use, which officials dine need said represents the climax security venture within their institutions. Micro-jamming technique was tested final year can a federal jail - where officials said they were able ought shut down phone signals inner a jail cell, nevertheless devices almost 20 feet (6 meters) away worked normally - however a decades-old constitution says tell or local agencies don't dine the authority ought compress the public airwaves.
South Carolina Corrections Director Bryan Stirling, who because 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, accordingly giving him the federal condition needed ought accompany the jamming test.
"I'm same encouraged by what we witnessed can broad river this week," Stirling told AP above Friday, adding that he's optimistic almost federal legislation, introduced final month, that used to harmony tell jail officials the capacity ought compress signals.
In 2008, South Carolina officials received a waiver from the Federal Communications committee ought accompany a jamming examination can a different maximum-security prison, can a demonstration because media and other officials however no can a jail dorm.
Stirling and other tell jail directors employ other measures - parallel perimeter netting, monitoring by drone, and scanners - ought discover cellphones however induce a jamming technique that used to shut down full signals during the best feasible defense.
In 2017, Stirling testified can a FCC hearing can Washington alongside Robert Johnson, a previous South Carolina corrections officer about killed can 2010 can a strike orchestrated by an inmate using an illegal phone.
Also that year, an inmate escaped from a maximum-security jail can South Carolina, thanks can divide ought a smuggled cellphone. can 2018, seven inmates can a maximum-security South Carolina jail were killed can what officials dine said was a people campaign can field and contraband including cellphones.
The FCC has shown willingness ought career above the issue, holding a field hearing can 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 dine technological options ought assistance them war the smuggled devices.
"It is same difficult ought invent sure that no contraband gets in," Williams told AP. "We attempt during difficult during we can, however it's truly difficult ought cease everything."
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Meg Kinnard can exist reached can http://twitter.com/MegKinnardAP
