Criminals Running Drug Operations & Other Illegal Activities are CONTINUING to Do So in Prison… Using Illegal Cell Phones!” Criminal activity is continuing behind bars. This week, our Senate Corrections Subcommittee heard testimony of “hits” being ordered from behind prison walls… and entire drug operations continuing — even while the head of the criminal organization was in prison. Criminals are continuing their criminal activities behind bars!
But (in this session), we took steps to shut down the use of illegal cell phones in Prison!
Our Senate Corrections & Penology Committee has now approved H.4002 — which authorizes the use of new technology & new sentencing to clamp down the use of these illegal cell phones. In federal prisons, prison officials are allowed to block prisoners’ illegal cell phones. But the FCC has restricted states from doing the same thing in our state prisons.
After S.C. Department of Corrections Director Bryan Stirling was rejected by the FCC, he reached out to his counterparts in other state… contacted cell phone carriers like Verizon, AT&T, & others… and they worked together to come up with another solution. Current technology allows you to call Verizon (for example) and tell them your phone was stolen… Verizon immediately shuts the phone down… and it can no longer be used. Corrections officials have worked with experts to use this system technology to lock down prison cell phones.
Solution: Inside the prison, when attempting to make a call on a cell phone, you will be sent first to a prompt. The prompt will notify the system of the attempt… and only allowable cell phones will have their calls “go thru.” Others will not.. & their phone will be shut down!
And I know it works. They had me attempt to use my smart phone in the Senate Committee meeting… and it immediately shut down (they had to take it & reverse it so I could use it after the meeting). {Note: it would have allowed me to make a 911 call even while deactivated. Just not any other calls.}
They have already (with permission) tried this in one state prison… & have successfully deactivated 875 illegal cell phones in just 6 months (in just one prison). This has driven the cost of illegal cell phone purchases… due to impacting “supply & demand.” {previous “street cost” of purchasing an illegal cell phone was $600; now in this prison, the cost is nearly $10,000}
This bill we approved (H.4002) will do the following:
allow this technology to be used in all state prisons in S.C.
creates new, additional penalties (1st offense — adds one year to sentence; 2nd offense adds five years to sentence)
Prisons used to fire guards who made side-money bringing illegal cells into prisons & selling; NOW, in addition to firing them, they are charging them with a crime.
The bill now goes to our full Senate Corrections Committee next week… then to the Senate Floor for final debate. Stay tuned…
