Federal Strategies Addressing the Issue of Cell Phone Jammers in Correctional Facilities

[Perfect Jammer]

This document is a press release from the office of Attorney General Chris Carr.

Attorney General Chris Carr is urging the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to act without delay in allowing the use of cell phone jammers in state prisons and local jails. The FCC's existing prohibition on cell phone jammers extends to state and local governments. However, the presence of contraband cell phones in prisons and jails nationwide is facilitating the planning of violent acts and other criminal activities, thereby endangering the safety of correctional officers, visitors, inmates, and the general populace.

Carr indicated that the most effective means of safeguarding the public from the dangers posed by contraband cell phones is to enable the use of cell phone jamming technology in prisons and jails. He lamented that the FCC continues to obstruct these initiatives. He pointed out that this outdated guidance restricts essential law enforcement tools, creates hazardous conditions for correctional officers, and facilitates the growth of criminal networks both within and outside prison facilities. He reaffirmed their commitment to fighting violent crime wherever it occurs, urging the federal government to eliminate this major barrier to public safety.

In Georgia alone, 8,074 contraband cell phones were confiscated in 2023, and 5,482 have been confiscated so far in 2024. Recently, an incarcerated leader of the notorious street gang "Yves Saint Laurent Squad" used a contraband cell phone to order the stabbing of an 88-year-old Georgia veteran. A North Carolina gang leader was able to order the kidnapping of a prosecutor's father from his cell phone while in prison. In California, prison gangs use contraband cell phones to order murders and drug trafficking within the prison system.

“There are hundreds of examples across the country of how contraband cell phones in the hands of inmates have been used as lethal weapons and enabled them to continue their criminal activities. We are outraged that these individuals are continuing these activities and endangering the public,” said Georgia Department of Corrections Commissioner Tyrone Oliver. “As attempts to infiltrate our prisons with contraband cell phones continue to evolve, access to jamming technology is critical to our ability to combat these attempts. We thank Attorney General Carr for his support of our ongoing commitment to public safety and safe prison operations.”

In his letter, Carr highlighted that the Federal Communications Commission's policy is based on legislation that was enacted in the early 1990s, before the advent of contraband cell phone usage among prison inmates for planning and conducting illegal and risky activities.

Furthermore, Carr indicated that there is no provision in 47 USC § 333 that prohibits the FCC from revising its policy to allow state agencies to utilize cell phone jammers in correctional facilities. The U.S. Bureau of Prisons has, in fact, recognized the potential benefits of such devices and has been allowed to use signal jammers in several federal prisons, including at least one in Georgia.