FCC taking steps that would allow US prisons to jam prisoners' cellphone signals

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: AP

Updated 4:12 PM EDT, September 5, 2025


CHAPIN, S.C. (AP) — Federal officials on Friday said they are taking steps that will give state and federal prisons the right to jam the signals of cellphones smuggled to inmates, devices they argue allow prisoners to plot violence and carry out crimes.

FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said Friday during a news conference in Arkansas that his agency would vote at its Sept. 30 meeting on a proposal to lift a restriction in place that prohibits state and federal prisons from jamming signals of phones that prisoners aren’t allowed to have.

The debate over using technology to make the devices — often smuggled behind bars and even delivered over prison fences by drones and hollowed-out footballs — has been ongoing for years, with prison officials saying these actions allow inmates to run criminal enterprises while incarcerated.

“It may not be a silver bullet, it may not be the right fit for every facility, but there are certainly lots and lots of facilities around this country where this type of solution will and can make a significant difference,” Carr said. “Every single day that goes by, we’re leaving the American public exposed, and we’re going to close that loophole.”

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/prison-cellphones-contraband-jamming-fcc-92d4ba5b4c8b8a7d4089642beab77115

[msongs]

1. maybe time to go back to the single pay phone on the wall. nt

[Irish_Dem]

2. All of this is a dry run for what Trump wants to do to the entire US population.

Except for the billionaires.

[70sEraVet]

3. Before I can feel outrage about smuggled cell phones....

I'd like to see the US prison system address the outrageous and inhumane practice of charging prisoners exorbitant prices to make phone calls to family members!

As a result, the cost of a single 15-minute phone call has historically ranged from a modest $0.93 in some states to an outrageous $11.35 or more in others—especially in small, rural jails with limited oversight. In many cases, the actual per-minute rate is just one part of the total cost; families have also been subject to ancillary fees such as charges for opening an account, depositing funds, or speaking with customer service. These fees can easily add up to more than the cost of the calls themselves.

https://www.inmateaid.com/information/jail-calls-are-expensive-2025-guide-to-prison-phone-rates-and-fcc-reforms

[Shipwack]

6. First thing I thought.

Thieves can’t abide competition.

[JoseBalow]

9. Inmates get paid slave-wages of pennies per hour for compelled labor

which makes the issue even more egregious.

[eggplant]

4. Rather than jammers, they should just build their own towers.

They would see all of the voice and data traffic in real time. Problem solved.

[Jacson6]

5. They could put up a cellular tower at the prison.

The cell tower has a control channel that the phone will lock onto. They can block all data and cell phone calls.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

7. Phones are delivered by "hollowed-out footballs"?

Reporter needs to research the anatomy of a football. It's not easy to hollow out something that is hollow?

[RoseTrellis]

8. Nerf footballs

Pretty sure I’ve read reports of cell phones being smuggled inside of nerf footballs, which as thrown over the prison’s walls…