Attorney General Jeff Jackson of North Carolina, along with a bipartisan coalition of 31 Attorneys General, has sent a letter to Congress advocating for legislation that allows states to implement cell phone jamming systems in correctional facilities. The proposed legislation targets the prevention of crimes committed by inmates using smuggled phones, while ensuring emergency signals such as 9-1-1 remain unaffected.
“North Carolina has seen how much harm someone can cause by using a cell phone in prison or jail,” stated Attorney General Jeff Jackson. He emphasized the risk posed by contraband phones in enabling inmates to continue illegal activities, which endangers innocent civilians and law enforcement. The aim is to reduce offenses such as drug trafficking, fraud, and violence, thereby enhancing the safety of justice systems and communities. “We’re asking Congress to help make this law,” Jackson continued.
The letter to Congress underscores how inmates utilize illicit phones, with North Carolina having experienced the consequences firsthand. In 2016, a gang member incarcerated at Polk Correctional Institution orchestrated a kidnapping using a cell phone. Currently, federal law prohibits states and local entities from using cell phone jamming technology, leaving correctional facilities vulnerable to these growing threats.
“This is not a partisan issue—it is a matter of public safety,” the letter argues. According to a 2020 survey conducted on 20 state corrections departments, 25,840 contraband cell phones were found in just one year, highlighting the severity of the problem.
The letter was co-led by the Attorneys General of Georgia, Tennessee, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and received additional support from the Attorneys General of Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Northern Mariana Islands, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia.
###
