The Cellphone Jamming Reform Act of 2022 has been reintroduced by Congressman David Kustoff (TN-08) to address the issue of contraband cell phone use in federal and state prison facilities. This legislation would empower state and federal prisons to utilize cell phone jamming systems in order to safeguard inmates, guards, and the broader community.

Senators Tom Cotton (R-AR) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) brought forth the companion bill in the U.S. Senate. In addition, Representatives William Timmons (SC-04), Tom Rice (SC-07), Ralph Norman (SC-05), and Jeff Duncan (SC-03) have co-sponsored this legislation.

According to Congressman Kustoff, inmates in correctional facilities nationwide are employing contraband cell phones to engage in illegal activities, such as overseeing drug operations, supporting sex trafficking, and planning escapes.Congress is urged to address the pressing issue of contraband cell phones, ensuring the safety of the public from criminals who persist in engaging in illegal activities while in prison.It is with great satisfaction that I join Senators Cotton and Graham in reintroducing this significant bill, which is designed to enhance the safety of our communities in West Tennessee and throughout the United States.

Convicts have employed contraband cell phones to oversee illicit operations outside prison premises, which encompass targeting rivals, facilitating sex trafficking, running drug schemes, and negotiating business agreements.The use of cellphone signal jamming devices can effectively halt this activity, yet the Federal Communications Act currently prohibits facilities from employing such technology. The proposed bill seeks to rectify this situation, ensuring that criminals can be incarcerated without jeopardizing public safety.

This legislation has the backing of the Correctional Leaders Association, the Council of Prison Locals, the American Correctional Association, the National Sheriff's Association, and the Major County Sheriffs of America.

Within both federal and state prison facilities, the utilization of contraband cell phones is widespread. Inmates have exploited these unauthorized devices to carry out unlawful activities, including commissioning assaults on individuals outside prison walls, managing illicit drug operations, conducting illegal business transactions, facilitating sex trafficking, and organizing escapes that jeopardize the safety of correctional employees, fellow inmates, and the public.

The South Carolina Prison Incident was instigated by the combination of cell phones and contraband. A territorial dispute among gangs within the Lee Correctional Institution near Bishopville, South Carolina escalated into a chaotic brawl, with cell phones being utilized to facilitate the illegal exchange of contraband. Regrettably, this violent confrontation claimed the lives of seven inmates and caused injuries to 20 others.

The tragic death of Lt. Osvaldo Albarati occurred in 2013 at the hands of an inmate involved in an illicit contraband cell phone scheme. The inmate utilized a contraband cell phone to communicate with the hired shooter, leading to the fatal attack, as described in the official report.

A report from 2018 detailed how an inmate at FCI Fort Dix in New Jersey used a smuggled phone to plan a murder and assault while incarcerated. Another prisoner at the same facility faced charges for possessing and distributing child pornography via a contraband phone. Furthermore, six other inmates confessed to their involvement in various crimes.

Contraband cell phones serve a purpose beyond facilitating the unlawful activities of violent criminals. The Wall Street Journal recently disclosed that Martin Shkreli, the disgraced pharmaceutical executive who received a seven-year sentence for securities fraud, continued to exert control over decision-making processes at Phoenixus AG through the use of a contraband cell phone.