A plan to block inmate use of contraband cell phones with new technology is plagued with problems, according to a new study by the California Council on Science and Technology.
The nonpartisan study raised serious concerns about California prison officials’ plan to allow Global Tel Link to install Managed Access System technology in its 33 state prisons to block illegal cell phone use by inmates.
The study reports that capturing cell phone signals is a technology that is still evolving.
TECHNOLOGY
The 71-page study concludes MAS technology is not mature enough for immediate large-scale deployments, such as the deal between GTL and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
“Managed access as proposed will not do the job that the CDCR wants done,” said Susan Hackwood, executive director of the study.
The study focuses on a litany of problems, which include the technological inability to triangulate radio signals and stop frequency leakage that may disrupt cell phone use by people outside the prison. Nor does the technology prevent 4G, wireless internet, MiFi, text messages, or satellite transmissions, according to the study.
Test of the system was “rudimentary and would, at best, constitute a proof of concept, not an acceptable operational pilot test,” the study finds.
SECURITY ISSUES
“Cell phones in prisons are a growing state and national security issue,” and inconsistent screening at state prisons is “less rigorous than screening found at a normal airport,” according to key findings in the report.
The study noted, “There is no evidence that CDCR has fully or reliably identified the size of the contraband cell phone problem,” adding that prison officials should find out the amount of contraband cell phone usage prior to implementing the technology.
The study recommends CDCR conduct thorough searches of all items, vehicles, and personnel, and test the use of other technologies within confined prison locations.
Dana Simas, a CDCR spokesperson, said staff screenings would be “shortsighted” because it does not bear down on the problem.
Simas also said the study’s concerns are unfounded and that the Federal Communications Commission backs the technology.
In 2011, officials reported 15,000 contraband cell phones were confiscated inside state prisons and conservation camps.
INCREASED PENALTIES
In October, Gov. Jerry Brown signed into law Senate Bill 26, authored by Sen. Alex Padillia, which makes it a misdemeanor to smuggle wireless communication devices to inmates. It is punishable by six months in jail and a fine of up to $5,000 per device. The increased penalty for inmates found guilty of possessing a cell phone is a loss of up to 90 days good-time credit.
The study was prepared at the request of state Senators Elanin Alquist, Loni Hancock, Christine Kehoe, and Alex Padilla.
