ICYMI: Kustoff, Cotton Hold Press Conference to Jam Cellphones in Prisons

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressman David Kustoff (R-TN) and Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) held a press conference to discuss the Cellphone Jamming Reform Act that would prevent inmates from using contraband cellphones in prison facilities by allowing state and federal prisons to use cellphone jamming systems.

Click here to watch the full press conference or read Congressman Kustoff's remarks as prepared:

Good morning and I want to thank all of you for being with us. Today, in the House of Representatives we will introduce the Cellphone Jamming Reform Act. I’m glad that we are able to do this today.

I want to thank so many people, all the correctional leaders, the Correctional Leaders Association, the American Correctional Association, our State Attorneys General, our Governors, and so many others across the nation who are supporting our efforts.

I think this is a simple issue; I think it is one we can all get behind. Frankly, it’s a no-brainer. 

It should not be possible for people behind prison bars to order hits on people, to conduct gang activity, and to traffic drugs while behind the walls of the prison. The extent of coordinated criminal activity carried out by inmates is a serious threat to everyone -- those who guard and protect those in prison and those in our communities. 

In my home state of Tennessee, we had an inmate who used a contraband cellphone to organize and orchestrate a drug conspiracy by shipping packages full of drugs to his girlfriend. Now, this is outrageous. You can tell these stories and hear these stories in all 50 states across the country.

I’m a former United States Attorney -- it was an honor to serve as the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee -- I know first-hand how dangerous this activity is and how prevalent it has become. If we want to stop crimes from behind bars, then we must allow state and federal prison officials to jam these signals.

When criminals go to prison, their days of calling the shots are over. They shouldn’t be able to do it from behind the prison walls. If there is no cell signal, there is no crime. 

It is critical that the federal government support, defend, and provide the necessary resources for correctional facilities to operate effectively and to ensure the well-being of the public. That’s why we are introducing the Cellphone Jamming Reform Act today.

By preventing criminals from conducting operations from behind bars, we can crack down on crime in this nation and we can protect inmates, the guards, and the public at large.

Congress should act now—because each and every day that we wait, innocent lives remain at risk.

Click here to read the full text of the bill.

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