State AGs urge passage of legislation allowing for cell phone ‘jamming’ systems in prisons

(WKBN) – Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday has joined a bipartisan coalition of 26 state attorneys general calling on Congress to pass legislation allowing states to deploy cell phone “jamming” systems in prisons.

“Jamming” involves the interruption of cell phone signals, which would disable non-emergency calls.

The legislation — H.R. 2350 and S. 1137 — regards contraband phones and would not impact individuals’ usage of landline phones at prisons, according to a news release from the Attorney General’s Office.

Sunday says cell phones are typically smuggled into prisons and commonly used by incarcerated individuals to direct drug trafficking efforts, concoct escape plans or coordinate acts of violence.

“The reality is that some incarcerated individuals continue with their criminal activities while behind bars — be it orchestrating a drug or firearms trafficking organization or intimidating a witness in their case to not cooperate with authorities,” Sunday said in a statement. “This legislation will help keep our communities safer by eliminating crimes aided by the use of contraband cell phones.”

The bill was introduced by Tennessee Congressman David Kustoff and Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton.

Federal law currently bans states from using cell phone jamming technology.

The coalition sent a letter urging Congress to pass the bill.

A 2020 survey of 20 state corrections departments uncovered 25,840 contraband cell phones in a year, according to the letter.