ICYMI: Mississippi joins 22-state coalition urging FCC to allow cell phone jamming in prisons
JACKSON — Mississippi has joined a coalition of 22 state attorneys general urging the Federal Communications Commission to adopt a rule allowing correctional facilities to use cellphone jamming technology to combat the growing problem of contraband phones in prisons.
In a letter to the FCC, the bipartisan coalition expressed support for a proposed rule change that would permit jamming systems to block unauthorized cellular transmissions from inside prison walls — a practice currently prohibited under federal law.
“Contraband cellphones are a problem in prisons in Mississippi and all over the country,” Attorney General Lynn Fitch said in a statement. “These phones pose a real threat, allowing criminals to conduct criminal activity while sitting behind bars and coordinate violence within correctional facilities. I am encouraged that the FCC is addressing this important issue and giving states the tools to combat this security risk.”
Federal law currently prohibits the use of signal jamming equipment, even in highly controlled environments like prisons. Critics of that policy argue it fails to consider the unique security risks posed by incarcerated individuals using smuggled phones to intimidate witnesses, run criminal enterprises, and organize attacks both inside and outside correctional facilities.
The proposed FCC rule would allow targeted jamming technology capable of disrupting illegal communications within a prison, without affecting cellphone service outside the facility. Supporters say the change would strike a balance between enhancing public safety and preserving access to lawful communications.
Attorneys general from Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and West Virginia also signed on to the letter, which was spearheaded by Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin.
Earlier this year, Fitch and a coalition of 30 attorneys general also voiced support for legislation introduced by Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) and Rep. David Kustoff (R-Tenn.) that would give states the authority to implement jamming systems within correctional institutions.