Legislators, FCC show support for cellphone jamming in prisons
PRESS RELEASE FROM THE OFFICE OF CONGRESSMAN DAVID KUSTOFF, TENNESSEE'S EIGHTH DISTRICT:
Rep. David Kustoff Applauds FCC Chair Brendan Carr for Announcing Support and Rulemaking to Allow Cellphone Jamming in Prisons
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman David Kustoff (R-TN) today applauded Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chair Brendan Carr for announcing support for cell phone jamming technology in prisons. Congressman Kustoff and Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) introduced the Cellphone Jamming Reform Act, legislation that would modernize federal law to permit correctional institutions to block illegal cellphone use by inmates.
“Criminals are using contraband cellphones to commit crimes while in prison. The extent of coordinated criminal activity carried out by inmates is a serious threat to public safety,” said Congressman Kustoff. “As a former United States Attorney, I have seen firsthand how criminals use contraband cellphones to harm others and continue running crime rings. That is why I introduced the Cellphone Jamming Reform Act in the House. Chair Carr’s leadership at the FCC reinforces our effort and makes clear that now is the time to act. Together, Congress and the FCC can ensure that inmates can no longer traffic drugs, run gangs, or order murders from behind prison walls.”
Background:
Under the Federal Communications Act, prisons are currently prohibited from using cellphone jamming systems. Meanwhile, contraband cellphone use has surged nationwide. Inmates have used contraband cellphones to run drug operations, coordinate illicit business deals, facilitate sex trafficking, and even organize prison escapes. The consequences have been deadly.
Last year in Atlanta, two 13-year-old boys were murdered at a birthday party after inmates in a Georgia prison ordered the hit using contraband phones. Georgia authorities confiscated more than 15,500 contraband phones in 2024 and over 8,000 the year before. In December 2024, two California inmates were convicted of murder, racketeering, and other RICO-related crimes for running a heroin and meth trafficking operation from their prison cells. In Tennessee, an inmate used a contraband cellphone to orchestrate drug deals, shipping a package of methamphetamine to his girlfriend.
The Cellphone Jamming Reform Act would update the law to allow narrowly tailored jamming equipment to be deployed in prison facilities. This technology would block illegal inmate communications without disrupting lawful cellphone service in surrounding communities. Chairman Carr’s announcement of FCC rulemaking works in tandem with my bill, ensuring safeguards and clear implementation standards so the technology is used effectively and responsibly.
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