In most jurisdictions, prison inmates are forbidden from possessing mobile phones due to their ability to communicate with the outside world and other security issues. Mobile phones are one of the most smuggled items into prisons.

Mar 26, 2025 · Federal law currently bans states from using cell phone jamming technology, leaving correctional facilities defenseless against an escalating threat. A 2020 survey of 20 state corrections departments uncovered 25,840 contraband cell phones in a single year, a stark reminder of the scale of the crisis, according to the letter.

Jun 7, 2024 · Illegal cell phone use by federal prisoners is an ongoing issue. Prisoner are not allowed to use cell phones and must instead make calls on monitored phone lines where use is capped at 500...

Jun 7, 2024 · Illegal cell phone use by federal prisoners is an ongoing issue. Prisoner are not allowed to use cell phones and must instead make calls on monitored phone lines where use is capped at 500 minutes/month and individual calls are limited to 15 minutes.

Across the United States, federal correctional facilities are grappling with a dangerous and rapidly escalating threat: drones delivering contraband cell phones directly into prison yards. These unmanned aerial systems have become the method of choice for smugglers, bypassing fences, watchtowers, and routine searches—delivering devices that allow inmates to continue orchestrating criminal ...

4 days ago · Cell phone signal jammers could help reduce crime coordinated from behind bars. But prisoner advocates say other solutions would be better.

Mar 26, 2025 · Cotton, Kustoff Introduce Bill to Keep Cellphones Out of Jails Washington, D.C. — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today introduced the Cellphone Jamming Reform Act of 2025, legislation which would prevent inmates from using contraband cellphone use in prison facilities by allowing state and federal prisons to use cellphone jamming systems.

Oct 10, 2024 · The Lieutenant Osvaldo Albarati Stopping Prison Contraband Act builds on the Grassley-Feinstein Cell Phone Contraband Act, which became law in 2010, designating cellphones as contraband in federal prison.

Nov 4, 2024 · Recently, a bill passed the U.S. Senate that would make it a felony for an incarcerated person to possess a cell phone in a federal prison (rather than a misdemeanor).

Mar 27, 2025 · WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), Tom Cotton (R-AR), and a group of Republican colleagues introduced the Cellphone Jamming Reform Act of 2025 to prevent inmates from using contraband cellphone use in prison facilities by allowing state and federal prisons to use cellphone jamming systems. “Cellphone use behind bars allows criminals to commit more crimes,” said Dr ...