The National Capital Territory Government has announced plans to consider using technology that could jam mobile phone signals at the Alexander McConnocke Centre in Canberra. Mobile phones are making up an increasing proportion of contraband seized in the country. This week a new GPS jammer was installed at the Supermax 2 high-security unit in Goulburn, which holds extremists and terrorists. If the first test is successful, he will face a two-year trial in a NSW prison.
The latest generation of systems contain a number of antennas that interfere with the frequencies that mobile phone signals normally transmit, rendering the devices unusable. A spokesman for the Community Justice and Safety Agency said the outcome of the trial in Goulburn could lead to the technology being used in the ACT. "The implementation of cellular jamming at the Alexander McConnocke Centre was very complex," he said. "It is important to note that this is not the first time this technology has been tried in Australia. So far, it has proven to be not the case. The resulting solution is very expensive."
A variety of mobile phones are available at the Alexander McConnocke Centre. In 2017, The Canberra Times revealed that prisoners were caught with thumb-sized mobile phones. The size of these portable bluetooth jammer means they can be smuggled into body cavities, and they contain little metal, making them harder for metal detectors to detect. A spokesman for the ACT Justice and Security Authority said the ACT's human rights laws would not prevent Canberra Prison from introducing mobile phone jamming technology because mobile phones are prohibited items. "Currently, detainees are contacted by phone and email through the [Alexander McCannock Centre] to support their relationships with friends and family," he said.
ACT Law Enforcement Inspector Neil McAllister indicated that the territorial governments should wait for Galben to bring the saboteurs to justice before proceeding. An important consideration in the potential introduction of jamming technology in Canberra is its impact on individuals in the vicinity of the prison, particularly those driving on the Monaro Freeway who may need to access emergency services.
OKLAHOMA CITY - A considerable number of illegal mobile phones have been obtained by inmates through nefarious methods. On Monday, prison officials revealed that they are restricted from utilizing one of the most effective tools to address this problem: phone jamming technology. During a session with an Oklahoma Senate committee, officials from Oklahoma and South Carolina demonstrated the technology's effectiveness. However, federal regulations prevent government agencies from using it, and the cellphone industry has opposed its deployment.
Last year, Oklahoma seized more than 5,200 smuggled cell phones from inmates. Mike Carpenter, security director for the Oklahoma Department of Corrections, said that although that is down about 7,500 from a year ago, the problem remains severe. Carpenter said a fight between rival gangs at an Oklahoma prison escalated rapidly last month after a fight using contraband cell phones at several other prisons. One inmate was killed and more than a dozen were injured.
"Do you think (cell phone) traffic jamming will work? Absolutely," Mr. Carpenter said. Gerard Keegan, a spokesman for the Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association, said the cellphone industry relies primarily on blocking signals from legitimate users. He opposed the use of portable cell phone jammers in prisons. He said the group supports a "managed access" system that uses technology to identify signals from contraband phones inside prisons and will take steps to disable those targeted calls, which he said can be done. He said the group also supports further testing of cellphone jamming technology.
Federal law that allows states to use jamming devices is still pending in the House and Senate. "My proposal is simple," Oklahoma Sen. James Lankford said before the U.S. Senate earlier this year. "To protect our guards, to protect our families and to prevent criminal activity in prisons, we can block cell phones in federal prisons." Federal officials at federal prisons have tested micro jammers and say if the device works properly about 20 feet away, it can shut down phone signals in prison cells.