SC officials seek new ways to block prisoner cellphone use

[Perfect Jammer]

In the minutes leading up to noon on September 11, 2018, Jared Johns, a former Army private, lay down on his bed, switched on the camera of his iPhone, and expressed his goodbyes to his family.

Approaching the conclusion of the two-minute video, Johns's eyes widened in horror as he read a message on his screen: "She is informing the police, and you will be imprisoned," the message declared.

Post-Afghanistan service, Johns took a deep breath, positioned a 9 mm handgun under his chin, and proceeded to pull the trigger.

Hundreds of former and current service members, including a 24-year-old veteran, have fallen victim to a distressing "sextortion" scheme. This tragic plot, which ultimately led to the veteran's suicide, involved deceitful individuals masquerading as underage girls on dating sites. Prosecutors claim that these scam artists aimed to extort money from men who were lured into their trap.

Nevertheless, the most startling feature of the narrative in Johns' case was that it was purportedly orchestrated by inmates at Lee Correctional Institution, a high-security prison in South Carolina located about 150 miles east of Greenville. Moreover, the inmates accomplished this using smartphones - prohibited devices that were meant to be blocked by the prison's $1.7 million "managed access system."

Prison administrators, together with select federal bodies, have suggested the purchase of a more complex and potentially more expensive technology to prevent illegal cellular and Wi-Fi communication from contraband phones in correctional facilities: a signal blocker device that is capable of blocking all calls within its operational radius.

Bryan P. Stirling, who leads the South Carolina Department of Corrections, has stated that prisoners, though physically confined, are still free digitally.

Nevertheless, some experts sound a warning about the utilization of jamming technology, which was recently tested by the federal Bureau of Prisons in a South Carolina correctional facility. They caution that such technology could potentially endanger the public by interfering with crucial 911 calls and other cellphone services nearby. In the case of rural prisons, the concern revolves around the impact on drivers using local roads and highways. Additionally, these experts assert that the effectiveness of this technology is highly questionable.

Jamming all calls, even to 911

The challenges at hand have prompted corrections officials and federal agencies to propose the adoption of cellphone jammers, a technology that has faced opposition from the communications industry. This solution seeks to put an end to all calls, irrespective of whether they are made from phones owned by staff or emergency workers.

Unlike managed access systems, which restrict calls to approved numbers, jammers have the capability to interfere with all frequencies, including data and Wi-Fi, without discrimination. This poses a significant problem for the nation's 911 phone system, as it operates on a frequency that is closely related to those used by commercial carriers.

Only federal agencies have the legal authorization to operate jammers, and solely in restricted circumstances concerning national security. Nevertheless, with the endorsement of FCC Chairman Ajit Pai—selected by President Trump in 2017— and the U.S. Department of Justice, the potential use of jammers in correctional facilities may be explored.

September saw the department and state officials releasing news about a test conducted at South Carolina's Broad River Correctional Institution. The test demonstrated that a micro-jammer could effectively block calls within a cell block, while allowing "legitimate calls" a foot outside its walls.

On the other hand, the technical report from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration offered a different perspective. It highlighted that the test solely focused on one out of the 14 jammers required to block calls in half of the cellblock. Furthermore, the report noted the detection of jamming signals at a minimum distance of 65 feet, although the actual impact on regular cell-phone service remained uncertain.