Can the use of cellphone signal jamming be considered as a solution to address the issues of drugs and violence in prisons?

[Perfect Jammer]

The attorney general of Oklahoma, who has recently assumed office, is joining forces with other prominent prosecutors across the country to implore Congress to legalize the jamming signal of cellphone signals within state prisons.

Attorney General Gentner Drummond pointed out that criminal enterprises can effectively function within prison walls. He stressed the crucial role of equipping law enforcement with the necessary tools to combat this issue, urging Congress to promptly address the problem.

Drummond joined 21 other attorneys general last week in a letter urging Congress to pass ''meaningful" legislation allowing states to jam cellphones at prisons.

In a briefing to congressional leaders on Wednesday, the prosecutors disclosed that inmates are employing contraband cell phones to organize murders, riots, drug transactions, fraud, and a wide range of other illicit activities. Unfortunately, there is currently no effective method to block these cell phones, thereby presenting an ongoing threat to public safety.

Cellphones used to direct drug rings from inside prisons, DOJ says

The U.S. Department of Justice's recent publication of statistics has spurred a renewed push for a change in the law, underscoring the gravity of the situation in Oklahoma.

The U.S. attorney from Oklahoma City, in a news release on Friday, emphasized that state inmates belonging to four distinct criminal organizations managed to obtain contraband cell phones despite being imprisoned. This allowed them to persistently direct their drug trafficking and violent networks by communicating with their associates outside the prison walls.

“Now, 275 dangerous criminals have been held accountable, more than a half-ton of poisonous drugs and 393 firearms have been removed from the streets, and $1.3 million in cash has been taken away from drug traffickers," U.S. Attorney Bob Troester said about the results of the drug prosecutions.

According to the news release, thirty offenders were imprisoned after being caught red-handed in their involvement with drug rings. It is worth mentioning that these individuals were simultaneously overseeing the operations, which were known for their frequent acts of violence, using smuggled cellphones.

Sentenced in December was Eduardo Rosales, a leader of a ring operated by the Southside Locos gang that distributed methamphetamine from Mexico across the state in 2019. Rosales, 37, of Oklahoma City, was already in state prison at the time for drug offenses.

Chance Alan "Wolfhead" Wilson, a resident of Purcell, was sentenced in December for the murder of his sister. While serving his time in state prison, Wilson was found to be running a drug ring. Federal prosecutors have labeled him as a prominent member of the Universal Aryan Brotherhood, a prison gang.

A federal prison sentence of 30 years was imposed on both offenders.

Thousands of cellphones seized from Oklahoma facilities

In a recent announcement, the Oklahoma Department of Corrections disclosed that a staggering 5,247 cellphones were confiscated in state and privately operated correctional facilities throughout the previous year.

"Despite the presence of cellphone-detecting K-9 units and nonstop intelligence-gathering efforts, some phones still manage to get through. That is a reality faced at all levels, from county jails to federal prisons," said Josh Ward, chief of communications.

Court records reveal that guards have engaged in the illegal act of smuggling cellphones into Oklahoma prisons. Moreover, these devices have been illicitly introduced by either being thrown over prison fences or dropped using drones.

Oklahoma authorities have requested novel methods to counter the use of illegal cellphones.

Governor Kevin Stitt, in 2019, expressed the imperative of resolving the technology-related problem through a technological solution. This statement was prompted by a succession of gang-related altercations in six prisons, leading to the enforcement of lockdowns.

The governor's office has revealed that the facilitation of the "premeditated acts of violence" was achieved through illicit communication between inmates utilizing contraband cellphones.

In that very year, Senator James Lankford of the United States advocated for the implementation of jamming technology by states.

“Why don't we change that law?” Lankford asked on the Senate floor. “Great question. A question that should have been answered by this body a long time ago, but communications companies and cellphone company lobbyists overwhelmed this body and pushed back and say, ‘Let's study the issue.’”

He said he repeatedly met with leaders at the Federal Communications Commission in an effort to resolve the issue. "Each year ... they say, 'We're studying it.'"

FCC opposes cellphone jamming, citing safety concerns

The FCC has persistently objected to the utilization of jamming wifi technology within state prisons, a position it has held for quite some time.

As per the FCC's statement, it leads to a higher number of problems compared to the solutions it offers. Furthermore, it can interfere with mobile 911 calls and public safety communication.

As an active cosponsor, Lankford contributed to the Cellphone Jamming Reform Act in August; however, the bill failed to garner a vote and ultimately perished.

Lankford took to Twitter last week, stating the pressing need for states to be granted jamming authority.

In 2021, the FCC formulated a process wherein prison officials with designated authority can formally ask wireless providers to disable cell signals individually, without the need for a court order.