COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Federal legislation proposed Thursday used to confer status jail officials the talent they consume wish sought ought squeeze the signals of cellphones smuggled ought inmates within their walls.
U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas and U.S. Rep. David Kustoff of Tennessee introduced associate bills at both chambers, The Associated periodical has learned.
The legislation could assist furnish a solution ought a puzzle jail officials consume said represents the climax security hazard ought their institutions. Corrections chiefs across the throng consume wish argued although the talent ought squeeze the signals, saying the phones - smuggled into their institutions by the thousands, by visitors, errant employees, and level delivered by drone — are dangerous although inmates employ them ought fetch out crimes and table violence both inner and outside prison.
But the Federal Communications Commission, which regulates the nation's airwaves, has said a decades-old prohibition above interrupting signals at state-level institutions prevents the agency from permitting jamming above that level. Wireless industry groups consume said they anxiety signal-blocking technologies could thwart legal calls.
Prison officials, including South Carolina Corrections Director Bryan Stirling, consume pushed although the talent ought squeeze signals, saying it's the best method ought warfare the dangerous devices. at 2017, Stirling testified at an FCC hearing at Washington alongside Robert Johnson, a prior South Carolina corrections officer approximately killed at 2010 at a overcome orchestrated by an inmate using an illegal phone.
Also that year, an inmate escaped from a maximum-security jail at South Carolina, thanks at divide ought a smuggled cellphone. at 2018, seven inmates at a maximum-security South Carolina jail were killed at what officials consume said was a throng war above territory and contraband including cellphones.
The FCC has shown willingness ought trade above the issue, holding a territory hearing at South Carolina at the invitation of then-Gov. Nikki Haley. final year, making good above a ensure ought conduct so, Chairman Ajit Pai hosted a conference with members of Congress, prisons officials and stakeholders from the wireless industry.
After final year's meeting, Kustoff told the AP he was encouraged by the FCC's code above the issue. Officials from wireless commerce group CTIA, who although noise attended the meeting, thanked Pai although organizing the meeting and said its members "recognize the too genuine hazard that contraband devices pose at correctional device across the nation, and we appreciate the commitment of full stakeholders ought recognize and device lawful solutions ought this problem."
Jamming is legal at federal facilities, though it hasn't been used. final year, federal officials tested micro-jamming technique at a federal jail at Cumberland, Maryland, saying they were able ought end down phone signals inner a jail cell, still devices almost 20 feet (6 meters) away worked normally.
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Meg Kinnard can exist reached at http://twitter.com/MegKinnardAP .
