Fighting cells phones in prison

A major problem is communications from prisoners to others in the outside world. It is supposed to be restrained but cell phones are smuggled in. Now from all places California there is an effort to fight this.

California prisons to block use of smuggled cellphones

A private company has agreed to pay millions to install technology in California prisons to block Web searches, text messages and phone calls by inmates using smuggled phones.

The deal won't cost taxpayers a dime, state officials insist, because the company, Global Tel Link, also owns the traditional pay phones prisoners can legally use. Company officials are betting that once the contraband cell devices are disabled, demand for pay phones will skyrocket.

Like other states, California is battling a plague of phones smuggled to inmates. Many are used by lonely prisoners to stay in touch with family and friends, but they've also been used to run criminal enterprises on the streets, organize assaults on guards and intimidate witnesses, prison officials say.

Last year, California prison guards confiscated more than 15,000 contraband phones, nearly one for every 11 inmates. Five years ago, only 261 of the devices turned up behind prison walls. Even Charles Manson, arguably the state's most notorious inmate, has twice been caught with contraband phones...

...Visitors go through security stations similar to those at airports as they enter the facilities...

...Jamming of cellphone signals in a particular area, such as the space surrounding a prison, is prohibited by the Federal Communications Commission. Last year, when Global Tel Link's contract to provide pay phones in state lockups came up for renewal, Cate said the next vendor would have to pay for a legal way to prevent cellphone use.

Basically, each prison will get its own cell tower, which prison officials will be able to control. They'll make a list of approved phones that can send and receive signals, and all others will be rendered useless. Installing the systems at all 33 California prisons could cost between $16.5 million and $33 million, Cate estimated last year...

...Use of pay phones, which are recorded and monitored by prison guards, went up 64% in the days after the test.

A solution to a real problem, should work, no cost to the taxpayers. Logical, useful and efficient. Naturally the usual suspects are against it.

Inmate advocates argue that the vast majority of prisoners use their smuggled phones for communication with friends and family, and that keeping those ties strong is essential to their successful reintegration to society after they're released.

"Aside from cases where an inmate is confined for child abuse or molestation, the lines of communication between inmates and their families should be as open as possible," said Rebekah Evenson, an attorney for the Prison Law Office in Berkeley. She noted that federal prisons allow inmates secure email accounts and suggested those might be a better way to monitor prisoners' communications.

No Ms Evenson, a prisoner doesn't have a right to an illegal cell phone in prison. You may have noticed the word illegal. They cannot have it. If they want to communicate with the family and friends they can use the payphone. I can believe the feds do something as stupid as giving prisoners secure email but California doesn't have to be that insane. You may not get this but there are prisoners. They don't have rights to unmonitored communications. If they don't having limited communications with the family, etc, maybe they should take the advice of Jim Carey.