Thousands of illegal cellphones are being smuggled into prisons, where inmates, including some on death row, use them to threaten victims, conduct drug deals, plot escape and seek legal help, prison officials say. The phones, most operating on prepaid accounts bought by relatives and friends, often are not caught in searches at visitor entries.
"States are struggling with this," says Eric Schultz, spokesman for the American Correctional Association.
In South Carolina, more than 1,000 phones were confiscated last year, corrections spokesman Josh Gelinas says. In McCormick, S.C., smugglers have used a makeshift launcher to shoot phones and drugs over 12-foot prison fences for inmates to pick up.
Other states reporting problems:
?Florida: Officials seized 336 phones last year, many from violent inmates. Some prisoners used the phones to harass their victims, make drug deals and plan escape, prisons spokeswoman Gretl Plessinger says.
A state law that took effect last month makes inmate phone possession a felony. Next month, the state will assign a Belgian Malinois to roam the prisons and sniff out the phones.
?Texas: More than 700 cellphones have been seized so far this year, up from 580 last year. "We're picking up new cases every day," says John Moriarty, the prison system's inspector general. In one 30-day period, officials traced 2,800 calls and text messages to death row inmate Richard Tabler, who called a state senator about his appeal. Texas is bringing in three phone-detection dogs.
?California: Cellphone seizures in 2008 have topped the 1,400 confiscated in 2007, state prisons spokesman Paul Verke says. An advisory group of state prison wardens is studying the problem.
Some states' prison officials say federal law may actually help inmates by prohibiting the jamming gear that blocks calls. South Carolina authorities planned to test that law Friday by hosting a jamming-technology demo.
Federal Communications Commission spokesman Robert Kenny would not say whether the agency would act against South Carolina authorities.
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