HARRISBURG — Attorney General Dave Sunday joined a bipartisan coalition of 26 state attorneys general calling on Congress to pass H.R. 2350 and S. 1137, federal 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 regards contraband phones — devices that incarcerated individuals are not permitted to have. The legislation would not impact individuals’ usage of landline phones at prisons.
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,” Attorney General Sunday said. “This legislation will help keep our communities safer by eliminating crimes aided by the use of contraband cell phones.”
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