The Mississippi Department of Corrections issued the following press release.
The Mississippi Department of Corrections has a new way to attack the widespread use of contraband cellphones in the state prison system.
A new law allows a circuit court to issue a court order to disable a cellphone determined to be used by incarcerated individuals.
Senate Bill 2704, signed by Gov. Phil Bryant, took effect upon passage. The new law resulted from an amendment to statute § 47-5-193.
“This is another measure that is necessary to address contraband cellphones in our correctional facilities,” Commissioner Pelicia E. Hall said. “Cellphones are one of the major contraband issues not just in Mississippi, but nationwide.”
MDOC’s Zero Tolerance initiative to reduce contraband resulted in the seizure of 11,863 cellphones in 2018 from among the 30-plus facilities, including prisons, community work centers, regional jails and restitution centers. The number is 635 for the first three months of this year.
“We will continue to be aggressive in our efforts to combat cellphones because of their threat to public safety,” Commissioner Hall said. “The assertion that incarcerated persons need cellphones because of the expensive inmate telephone cost is not valid.”
MDOC lowered inmate telephone calls from 11 cents per minute to .039 per minute in March 2018 to make the service more accessible and affordable for family members. The change was the second rate drop since March 2016 when the FCC mandated lower rates per minute for calls in prison systems.
11 comments:
Could we dump those phones in the potholes and pave over them?
What is the ratio of confiscated cell phones to inmate population? How does that compare to the Hinds detention center in Raymond? I think we have found a way to compare jail operation on a consistent basis.
Sell em to me and I will sell on eBay
Sell to me to sell on eBay
So, at 19,000 inmates on any given day, roughly 62% of the inmate population had a phone at some point during the year. I wonder which facility was the worst offender. I assume the county jails have the highest percentage of violations, but I have no data to support that.
to all the bernie sanders wackos out there who want a socialized economy, this is an example of good old fashion supply and demand economics.
All the correction facilities need to install cell phone jammers!
@ 1:30 pm There you go. Too obvious, too cheap, too effective. Besides without cell phones how could they coordinate dope sales, money laundering and other associated activities -- not to forget murder for hire. What are you, some kind of subversive? Next thing you will be wanting inmates to work at some useful job to help offset the cost of their housing.
Was this number adjusted for inflation?
Smart phones are generally too large to keester hide. That leaves:
a. Prison staff to smuggle them.
b. A stork dropped them into the yard?
c. Built in the metal shop?
Federal law prevents them from using jammers
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