“Let states jam prison cellphones,” says U-S Attorney

United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon authored today an opinion piece in The Wall Street Journal highlighting the public safety threat posed by contraband cellphones in prisons entitled, “Let States Jam Prison Cellphones.” U.S. Attorney Lydon also announced a series of cases the U.S. Attorney’s Office has prosecuted in federal court to help stop the flow of contraband cellphones into state prisons and punish those who use them to harm the public.
“We do not put criminals behind bars only to have them continue their criminal enterprises from inside prison,” said U.S. Attorney Lydon. “We will continue to use every tool available to us to stop this threat to public safety. But until our state and local partners are permitted to jam cellphone signals in prisons, inmates with time on their hands and unrestricted access to the Internet will continue to run drug rings, scam innocent Americans, and perpetrate crimes that help them grow their wealth while incarcerated.” South Carolina Department of Corrections (SCDC) Director Bryan Stirling stated, “Because of contraband cellphones, criminals are physically incarcerated, however, they are virtually out there amongst us, continuing their criminal ways from behind our nation’s prison walls.”