2024年10月14日
Enable the Deployment of Cell Phone Jammers in Prison Environments
The Attorney General is urging the Federal Communications Commission to authorize the deployment of cell phone jammers in prisons.
Georgia's Attorney General is advocating for the federal agency to rescind its ban on cell phone jammers, thereby allowing state officials to employ these devices to obstruct the operation of contraband phones in prisons.
Currently, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) prohibits the deployment of cell phone "signal jammers" in both prisons and jails. The office of Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr has indicated that this restriction is applicable to state and local authorities as well. On Tuesday, Carr reached out to FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, seeking a reassessment of the existing ban.
As outlined in the letter, the presence of smuggled mobile phones in prisons presents significant threats to both inmates and correctional personnel. In Georgia, officials reported the seizure of 8,074 contraband phones in 2023, with an additional 5,482 confiscated thus far in 2024.
In March, the results of Operation Skyhawk were made public by Georgia officials, following an extensive investigation that lasted several months and targeted contraband in the state's Department of Corrections facilities.
A total of 273 illicit cell phones were seized by authorities in the facilities, leading to the arrest of 150 suspects, including eight GDC staff members who were swiftly dismissed. The use of drones was instrumental in the introduction of contraband into the facilities.
When questioned about his position on the request, a spokesperson for U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff, a Democrat from Georgia, indicated that he has collaborated with Iowa Republican Senator Chuck Grassley in co-sponsoring legislation designed to tackle the problem of contraband in federal prisons.
In the year 2022, Ossoff spearheaded a ten-month bipartisan inquiry into the U.S. Penitentiary Atlanta, now referred to as FCI Atlanta. The investigation's outcomes underscored the urgent requirement to remove illegal cell phones from prisons.
