JOINT STATEMENT FROM GOVERNOR MARTIN O’MALLEY AND SENATOR BARBARA MIKULSKI ON NATION’S FIRST-EVER CELL PHONE JAMMING TEST AT A PRISON HELD TODAY IN MARYLAND
ANNAPOLIS, MD (February 17, 2010) – Governor Martin O’Malley and U.S. Senator Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.) issued this statement today following the first-ever legal test of cell phone jamming technology at a federal prison. Last year, Governor O’Malley and Senator Mikulski formally requested approval for the test from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). Today, Governor O’Malley visited the Federal Correctional Institution in Cumberland, MD, where the Bureau of Prisons and the NTIA were conducting the first-ever sanctioned test of the jamming technology at a prison.
“Law enforcement needs every tool available to fight the violent crimes that are being orchestrated by criminals using illegal cell phones behind bars. Today’s event is an important step in understanding the technology and its impact on the areas surrounding prisons. Today’s test marks the first time the federal government has sanctioned the use of this equipment for these purposes at a prison, and we’re pleased that the NTIA chose a federal facility in Maryland, further demonstrating our national leadership on this important public safety issue.
“The enormous hurdles required simply to make this test possible should serve as evidence enough of the critical need for passage of S. 251, the Safe Prisons Communications Act of 2009. We must give law enforcement quick access to every technological tool available -- including cell phone jamming -- to combat illegal cell phone use on the inside and protect our neighbors and families on the outside.”
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11 comments:
Wouldnt it simpler, cheaper and make better sense to enforce a "no cell phones allowed"?????
excellent move. next, manatory cell phone blocker thing in cars and trucks. happy days are here again. with the cell phone man has lost all freedom. no where to hide.
Retire mikulski. Rest that broken ankle.
Well I know for a fact in Baltimore there is at least one guard that is working in conjunction with his girlfriend to make cell phones readily available to inmates. It is a very simple scam that is not investigated. Every few weeks or months they do a sweep to confiscate the phones, then the girlfriend of the guard is on contact with the family friends of inmates, money is then deposited into a paypal account she purchases the phones and her boyfriend, the guard distributes the phones to the inmates. They have a nice money making scheme going..if you are in it for the criminals that is!
2:40
Can you make an anynomous (sp) phone to a hotline and turn them in?
I don't know, can I? I mean who exactly do you trust when you know there are conspiracy concerns? I cannot say I know as fact it is happening in other prisons and detention facilities but the statistics would say it is. I also know the individuals involved are making $150 off each phone they are able to smuggle into the prison..so think about how ticked those two individuals are going to be when they lose that money, and about the fact the criminals are going to be furious.
Not saying I don't want to bring it to light, just saying I have a family that means more to me than being the hero. I know a lot of things that are happening on the shore as well, but the same thing..who is one to trust?
Law enforcement should not have ANYTHING available to them that the general public can't have access to.
Government is out of control!
These cell phone jammers are legally available in Europe.
These Dumbocrats just want a way they can shut down communication when the revolution to throw them out starts.
All this extra cost and expense for expensive technology because prison officials and employees cant do their job correctly. If they cant control cell phones the cant control other things either...drugs...weapons.
We need to drastically cut spending, prisons are the best place to start!
4:15 PM Cut Spending to Prisons. Let's think about that O wise one. You see the complaints about offenders everyday being released back to the streets after their hearings and do you wonder why? Right? Have you ever given any thought at all to the fact that there is a problem here? A not so complicated problem really it's guite simple. THE #1 factor here is SPACE. When our legal system is juggling who goes in vs who stays out this would be because you can only house so many. I would like to think the Judges of our great counties in our tri-state area would like to lock them ALL down but they simply can't. I worked in Wicomico Courts for over 10 yrs. I'm not speaking out of ignorance here.
The reality is we have to get to the heart of the problem. The streets. Who's the problem there? The kids. Why? They are being raised by each other.
I simply don't have the energy or space to continue this soap box.
But really consider the opinion that we need to cut spending to prisons. What if you wife or husband worked there? What about their safety? What about the good guy/gal trying to work honestly and bring up their own families who won't be home to do that because there aren't enough guards to provide adequate coverage?
do u work in a prison?
With all due respect , using jamming systems in prisons is a waste of taxpayer money as the jamming systems can easily be circumvented with Skype Internet and Satellite phones. Jamming cannot be done on frequencies as strong as these without serious health risks. Ireland found out the hard way. See article link: http://info-wars.org/2009/12/29/inmates-foil-mobile-phone-blockers/
Many of the prisoners are not only NOT STUPID, they are resourceful. They will obtain the skype and satellite phones. According to the latest reports, cell phones are commanding up to $2000 per phone. At that price, they will make it in no matter how thorough the searches are (if not visitors or vendors, then the guard themselves). The terrorist prisoners are truly a threat to national security with these phones.
The only answer to address this problem is to standardize universal protocols. Doing such will also permit parents, teachers, judges, pastors, public transportation officials, hospital administrators, and business owners have an optional tool to easily eliminate their respective cell phone problems.
For more information on these patent pending protocols or to become part of the solution, contact john.fischer@trysafetyfirst.com.
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