DOTHAN, Ala. (WDNews) – Alabama prisons and county jails could gain another tool to block smuggled cellphones under proposed rules headed for a Federal Communications Commission vote Nov. 19, according to an announcement from FCC Chairman Brendan Carr.
Carr announced the upcoming vote Wednesday in Little Rock, Arkansas. The proposal would apply nationwide, meaning Alabama facilities could pursue approval to use the technology if the rules are adopted. Participation would be optional.
“No correctional institution will be required to use jamming, and this will not be the right solution for every facility,” Carr said. “But the FCC will vote next month to allow state and local prisons and jails to use this technology in appropriate cases.”
For Alabama, that could give state corrections officials and county jail administrators, including those in the Wiregrass, an additional option for stopping unauthorized cellphone use. The announcement does not identify any Alabama facilities planning to use the technology.
According to the FCC release, inmates across the country have used contraband phones to coordinate violent gang activity, order attacks and carry out other crimes.
“Contraband cellphones allow dangerous prisoners to continue their criminal activities from behind bars, putting correctional officers and the public at risk,” Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin said.
Cellphone jamming interferes with the signals phones use to communicate. Under the proposal described in the FCC release, facilities would have to meet licensing, technical and testing requirements before beginning operations.
Testing would have to demonstrate that the equipment does not cause harmful interference outside an approved area. Nearby communities would receive notice before deployment, while wireless carriers, public safety coordinators and 911 authorities would receive advance notice of on-site testing.
For residents near Alabama prisons and jails, those protections would be intended to keep lawful cellphone and emergency communications outside the approved area from being disrupted.
The November vote would decide whether to adopt the rules. It would not automatically activate cellphone jamming at Alabama facilities.
