Prisons petition to jam phones
26 other states join S.C.'s call to block cellular signals
By Yvonne Wenger
COLUMBIA — The state Corrections Department's effort to jam cell phone calls to and from inmates raises the question: If prison officials can't keep cell phones out of inmates' hands, what else can't they keep out?
Inmates use cell phones to coordinate deliveries with their friends and family in the middle of the night or the dark morning hours. The person on the outside lobs drugs, alcohol, tobacco and other contraband over the 12-foot or higher fences and into the state's 18 mid-level and maximum security prison yards.
The criminals' secret deliveries come in bags, hollowed-out Nerf balls and plastic footballs carved open, stuffed with goodies and then shot over the single or double-layer fences with potato guns or other rocket launchers.
Corrections Department petition to the FCC to jam cell phone signals from prisons (40 page PDF)
Lack of money and manpower and an outdated federal law sit at the center of the problem that Corrections Director Jon Ozmint said sprouted when X-ray machines and metal detectors were installed in recent years in the jails that house the most dangerous criminals.
Ozmint is at the forefront of a nationwide push to persuade the Federal Communications Commission to allow states to jam cell phone signals in prisons. Twenty-six other states have signed a petition that the S.C. Department of Corrections submitted to the FCC on Monday.
The jamming technology, which would cost about $250,000 for each prison, works by eliminating the cell phone signal. It is specific enough that it won't interfere with phones outside the facility that is being blocked and does not affect law enforcement radios, Ozmint said.
The jamming technology is outlawed by the 1934 Federal Communications Act. Ozmint said the FCC has not responded to the agency's request to jam the signals. Federal law enforcement agencies, however, are exempt from the ban and are permitted to use the technology.
Ozmint said he also is pursing a possible congressional solution.
It is paramount that the state's jails and detention centers be allowed to use the technology, Ozmint said. If an inmate has access to a cell phone, he said, he guarantees that that inmate is up to no good.
The risk for people on the outside who are delivering contraband items such as tobacco and cell phones to prisoners is low, Ozmint said. Those items are legal to possess in public settings, and the prison system is so underfunded that only one officer is assigned to patrol the perimeter of each prison, he said.
Unless the officer catches the person in the act of launching the package over the fence, it is unlikely that person will get caught, Ozmint said.
Between 1999 and 2004, the agency's staff, including prison guards, was cut from 7,200 to 5,800 as a result of legislators balancing the budget. The ratio is now one corrections officer for every nine inmates.
But the cost of the smuggled cell phones is high. Elsewhere in the country, prisoners have used cell phones to threaten and, in two cases, kill witnesses, Ozmint said.
The agency has reviewed other ideas, such as netting on the tops of the fences, phone detection devices and search dogs, but Ozmint said no alternatives are as cost-effective and efficient as the jamming technology.
In 2008, about 2,000 cell phones were confiscated from the state prisons.
Reach Yvonne Wenger at 803-799-9051 or ywenger@postandcourier.com.
E-mail this story
Printer-friendly version
Comments
wildbillz50 (anonymous) says...
Hmmm ... I wonder;let's see;would I go to a prison armed with a 'potato gun'which uses a fire-cracker for propulsion to launch contraband INTO a maximum security area.THAT would make me a 'Rocket Scientist'...WHO comes and goes from there EVERY DAY ? That's right ... THE CORRECTIONS OFFICERS!
July 14, 2009 at 5:43 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Tides (anonymous) says...
Yet another perfect example of our government being one BIG mess. If they need a system to JAM cell phone calls by inmates who have had such phones smuggled in, that means inmates could be in possession of GUNS!
Good grief! These people working for all of us in our OWN government are totally WORTHLESS! What is going on here??!!!!!!
South Carolina is TOTALLY one big fricken mess. People in government need to be KICKED to the curb and replaced! PERIOD!
July 14, 2009 at 6:04 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
MP (anonymous) says...
wildbillz50/Tides- how many aliases do you have?
It is not SC government. It is the Federal Communications Commission enforcing Federal regulations. After all, criminals have "rights"!!!!!!!
July 14, 2009 at 6:37 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
theronce (anonymous) says...
How about cordonning off a sufficient area outside the walls and rig up a motion detector...or maybe rig up a bunch of those cameras that they show on the deer hunting and wildlife photography shows. This seems like an expensive solution. In any case, something doesn't sound kosher about either the problem or the solution.
July 14, 2009 at 7:04 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
singleroni (anonymous) says...
cells are smuggled in by family and thrown over the fence. too few guards too many animal inmates
July 14, 2009 at 7:53 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
counterpoint (anonymous) says...
I call BS.
July 14, 2009 at 7:53 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
GAL2000 (anonymous) says...
Title 42 Section 1983 and The Civil Rights Act of 1871:Law bans discrimination enacted under color of state law. The Civil Rights Act of 1871 is found in Title 42, section 1983 of the United States Code and so is commonly referred to as section 1983. It provides that anyone who, under color of state or local law, causes a person to be deprived of rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution, or federal law, is liable to that person.
Do I personally believe that cell phones should be allowed in Correctional Facilities/Prisons/Jails...NO!, but in my opinion, OLD Federal Laws need to be revisted, before broken by State Law makers, or a new State Law needs to be enacted to counter Federal Laws.
Prisoners have way too many Civil Rights these days, but you can't over-look all these civil rights that were pased by legislation years ago, and now look at our system, the prisoners practically run the institutions. {Oh, my donut was stale this morning, I'm going to sue}. It does occur, and the prisoners know how to use and abuse the laws.
July 14, 2009 at 8:03 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
joldham (anonymous) says...
The Criminals today have way too many rights. We need to remember when a person is convicted and imprisoned they lose all their rights. We just have to treat them humanely and that does not include a cell phone or drugs or any of the other so called "civil rights".
July 14, 2009 at 8:20 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
postman01 (anonymous) says...
Prison isn't about being nice, kind, or considerate.
It's about CORRECTION at minimum and simply removing the incorrigable from society permamently at maximum.
While the claim that criminals have no rights is confused, the fact is that their rights are and should be severely limited. After all, they are physically confined.
So the problem here is abuse of the concept of rights. Other than not being tortured senselessly, starved, beaten, etc., what logical right does an inmate posess other than the same legal rights possessed by all of us when in front of a court of law?
The answer is none.
July 14, 2009 at 8:44 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
SCHoser (anonymous) says...
The ban is based on a 1934 law?!? A 75 year old law?!? And the feds can do it but states can't?!? How idiotic is this?
July 14, 2009 at 8:57 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
ColdBud (anonymous) says...
theronce, they do have a fenced off buffer zone, motion detectors and cameras. The zone is too small and the cameras are too few but the budget doesn't allow for anything better.
Solution 1)
Keep the prisoners in 8X10 cells with a bunk, a sink and a toilet. Take them, one at a time, to shower once a week. No yard time, no exercise time, no library, computer or cafeteria time.
Solution 2)
Give all violent criminals the death penalty. This significantly reduces the prison population and the money needed to control that population. It keeps violent criminals from corrupting the stupid, made one mistake, non-violent criminal. It then allows us to "rehabilitate" the non-violent offender by providing them with training and education.
Either way... problem solved.
Tides, SC is messed up, but so are at least 15 other states that are fighting this exact same battle.
July 14, 2009 at 9:10 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
ysillyme (anonymous) says...
If you talk to former inmates or read anything about penalogy the only thing inmates don't have in prison is what they don't want. It's not more guards that we need, it's better trained MALE guards we need. Women guards are a joke and sad to say not enough white, college trained guards are needed to control the inmate population. Of course if Coldbud was warden, wouldn't take more than a couple guards to watch over the half dozen prisoners still living.
July 14, 2009 at 9:38 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Missing_Home (anonymous) says...
This is just BS, Search your corrections officers better, start putting them in jail when they are caught smuggling.
Be much cheaper than this "jamming" system.
Also, if it passes I think, Jon Ozmint should be prevented from selling/installing or profitting in anyway from our prison systems with these "jammers".
July 14, 2009 at 9:53 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
jammanofdi (anonymous) says...
Instead of spending 250k to buy jamming devices, how about keeping electrical outlets out of the cells? A cell phone battery doesn't last any longer than a day or two if it isn't being recharged. Prisons need to find out where and how these phones are being recharged - that seems to be a much simpler, cheaper and effective solution.
July 14, 2009 at 9:56 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
nopartisan_noproblem (anonymous) says...
Wildbillz, you're right. As much as people wouldn't want to believe that, it's true. My former supervisor was a Lt. at lieber and mcdougald and said one of the reasons he quit (aside from low pay of course) was due to the loss of integrity by so many of his fellow CO's. They bring in all kinds of things for these prisoners, and also let a lot of things slide.
If you think about it these CO's probably spend more time with these inmates than they do their families. So naturally they will form some kind of relationship with these prisoners and may even become cool with some of them, possibly even get a little payoff on the outside for helping them out. A certain prisoner might even tell the CO he'll keep certain people or groups in order if the CO will help them out.
July 14, 2009 at 10:07 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
stillfree1 (anonymous) says...
Just another way for the police to get a new toy instead of doing the job we already pay them for. Jeese, just search the prisiners once in a while and save us the $250 k per prison.
July 14, 2009 at 10:16 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
blacman (anonymous) says...
lions, tigers, and bigots...oh no!
More male guards? More white guards? Executing more inmates? Gotta love those overly sensitive posters.
July 14, 2009 at 10:17 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Missing_Home (anonymous) says...
I( just researched some Phone Jamming equipment, 250 K is way to expensive.
It can be done much cheaper.
P.S.
hmmmm if only Movie theaters could install these
July 14, 2009 at 10:18 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
SomeTruthPlease (anonymous) says...
The couple that live next door to me are very nice people, but they have a daughter that has been seeing an inmate at Lieber...she buys the prepaid phones at Wal Mart, and gets them into Lieber very, very easily...here's the way to do it: Have the Assistant Warden help you get the phones in!!! He sells the phones, and collects the money to have them activated...double paycheck!!!
July 14, 2009 at 10:18 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
charleston1960 (anonymous) says...
This just means that the prison systems in SC are being run by the wrong people. This solution is simple: start firing officials that allow visitors to bring phones in.
A sign at the entrance walkway from a parking lot would be a start:
'NO CELL PHONES ALLOWED! This is a secured area. Any person entering this area with a cell phone will be charged with smuggling contraband into the prison. Confiscated cell phones will be disposed of in front of the violator'
Put the image of a cell phone being smashed with a hammer on the sign. Then let the fun begin by charging violators first by taking their phone and disposing of them with a hammer. (Right in front of the visitor: A couple of smashed phones should work) Ban the visitors from future visits. Place a large see through plastic barrel in front of the entrance to show visitors how many phones have been confiscated and smashed. Let's see which prison fills their barrel the quickest.
Start cancelling visitation for inmates that have phones found under ramped up surprise inspections of their cells.
July 14, 2009 at 10:40 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Numba10 (anonymous) says...
well all you prison profesionals sure have a slew of outlandish ideas. Such as prisoners have no rights--well under the constitution unless under death penalty they still have the right to life and the pursuit of happiness----they have the right not to be subjected to cruel and unusual punishments----the people who founded this country had seen how the nature of man leads to cruelty unless checked---all you have to do is read the comments here from so called rational people and you will se why we have the society we do---these rational people call for irrational action---Remember some people in prison ARE INNOCENT---DNA has proven this---smashing cell phones without due process talk about violation of the innocents rights---cause anyone can make a mistake and forget---some of you dont think thru your proposed actions
July 14, 2009 at 11:05 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
blacman (anonymous) says...
chas.1960
You've been watching too many episodes of lockup New Mexico. They can't even control shivs a foot long, how they gonna rid the prisons of cell phones? Why not place a sign, "No drugs allowed"? Take away the $$$incentive and the cell phones will go away.
July 14, 2009 at 11:06 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Charles_Town (anonymous) says...
When a person is convicted ans sent to prison / jail. Their rights to freedom have been revoked (or at least suspended). I say cut down on the food, exercise/athletic/sports equipment and entertainment in the prison system and hire more guards, install the blockers or whatever it takes to make sure their sentence of losing their freedoms is enforced.
July 14, 2009 at 11:57 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Numba10 (anonymous) says...
only thier freedom has been revocked---prisoners are still entitled to life liberty and the pursuit of happiness----it just has to be done in prison---so many of you forget our founding principles----one is no cruel or unusual punishment---prisoners are entitled and the state is required by the constitution avoid such---food exercise and entertainment help to keep the prison population from reverting into more dangerous mental conditions that can occur from isolation and deprivation it also aids in protecting the staff and reduces the incidences of riots----and remember a conviction does not mean a person is guilty only found guilty beyond a resonable doubt---we all have seen to many innocent people released from prison after serving years for a crime they didnt commit
July 14, 2009 at 12:34 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
lowcountrydawg (anonymous) says...
Will someone explain to me how in the hell inmates are allowed to have cell phones in prison?
July 14, 2009 at 12:34 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
charleston1960 (anonymous) says...
blacman>
Unless the technology available to prisoner now affords them to build cell phones, this issue should be easier to control than shivs, which are made 'in prison'. Cell phones come in through the front gate in two ways. Visitors or employees.
July 14, 2009 at 12:34 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Numba10 (anonymous) says...
they are not allowed to have them---they are smuggled in--and passed during the visiting process or from gaurds or left in convienent places by friends or family that the convict will later have access to---example Lieber prison near Summerville used to may still allow inmates to check out a tent for family visits. the tenting area is in an area that inmates are allowed to exercise and roam in later when visitors are gone---any contraband left buried or by a post or tree is then moved into the prison--these folks are in prison not because they are necessarily stupid but because they did something stupid
July 14, 2009 at 12:40 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
eyfigueroa (anonymous) says...
I was going to offer a rebuttal to ysillyme and I thought better of it.
No amount of rational or intellectual debate will convince him that some of his 0938 post was incredibly foolish. He has continually shown a pattern of behavior that will preclude any type of rational discussion.
However I will keep ysilly & others like him in my thoughts. For someone to be that deeply entrenched in the premise of racism, (the true definition not the one that's bandied about so often on this site), one should pity them as opposed to be angry with them.
What's needed in our local, state and federal prison systems are greater checks and balances.
If you are employed by any DoC, you are subject to random bank account, credit report & drug checks.
As an employee you must be vetted by a national background check.
As an employee you must change in & out of your uniform at the facility. Before doing so you must go through a metal and xray detector. (ones used at airports).
Cameras must be used EVERYWHERE and visitors must be subjected to thorough body and package searches. Via metal and xray detectors REGARDLESS of gender or age.
Prisoners are restricted to rooms or barracks with minimum interactions with other inmates.
Yes, these measures will cost a premium to implement, however the costs will be recouped by lessening the number of crimes against Corrections employees AND the costs associated with frequently searching and destroying of contraband. Also, make is SO miserable that many of your lower-level knuckleheads will think twice about continuing behaviors that got in jail in the first place.
Call me naÃive but if the American people could grow a spine, the prison system could be overhauled.
July 14, 2009 at 2:09 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
bornin43 (anonymous) says...
When you serve on a jury in the state of South Carolina, you are required to put your cell phone in a box and leave it with the baliff until you are dismissed for the day.
The same rules should apply to visitors at all prisons. They should be required to leave their phones at the gate to be retreived later.
The phones could be numbered with a two part ticket. One part would be taped to the phone and the other would be given to the owner to identify their phone.
There are enough metal parts in a mobile phone to set off a metal detector if the phone is hidden on the person, and the x-ray machines should identify a phone in a handbag or brief case.
While this would not solve the problem of dishonest guards, only strict hiring practices and management oversite will solve that problem.
July 14, 2009 at 2:15 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
LawOfficer (anonymous) says...
To all of you crazy people. The visitors are not ALLOWED to bring in the phones. People throw them over the fences. Please gain some knowledge before you make yourselves look retarded. The officers and other staff (because there are other people there) are searched every time they come in the prison. Why every officer has to be dirty or unable to do the job is something I cannot understand, matter of fact since y'all have all the answers why don't you come on down, work and worry every day that the will soon(or already have)thrown a gun over that fence in one of those packages. Some of y'all think you have all of the sense, but you wont gain any knowledge by sitting on the computer judging what other need to or have done. I don't see anyone of y'all with a helpful or reasonable idea. Get a life and appreciate the people who have to deal with the inmates day in and day out, and the danger that come with making sure they are not in your back yard plotting your rape, or playing in the park with your little boy or girl with sick thought running threw their heads.
July 14, 2009 at 2:53 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Charles_Town (anonymous) says...
Posted by Numba10 on July 14, 2009 at 12:34 p.m. (Suggest removal)
only thier freedom has been revocked---prisoners are still entitled to life liberty and the pursuit of happiness----it just has to be done in prison--
Unless they have received the death penalty a stay in prison is not depriving someone of Life (which is deserved in some cases). Prison is and should be a removal of Liberty (Freedom). And why should someone convicted be allow pursuits of happiness. A prison is supposed to be an unhappy and gloomy place to act as a deterrent to people committing crimes that cause them to go to jail/prison.
July 14, 2009 at 3:01 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Larz13 (anonymous) says...
How about contracting out to a private company for prison services. Other states do it and the state pays a fee for each inmate that is housed there. The private companies build, maintain and run all aspects of the prisons and they are profitable. Meanwhile, the state saves $$ by not having to hire state employees and their expensive benefits.
July 14, 2009 at 4:12 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
sardis12 (anonymous) says...
They can't have a few guards do a quick visual search of the yards in the morning before the prisoners are allowed outside?
July 14, 2009 at 6:09 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
hobo (anonymous) says...
Let me try to put to rest this notion that some posters have that people are rushing to the fences of prisons and throwing them over. First, the perimeter fences are manned 24/7. No one from the public is going to get close to the perimeter fences. Secondly, the inmates are not allowed anywhere close to the perimeter fences. Cell phones are mainly brought in by the corrections staff (in addition to drugs, alcohol, etc.). Here's an idea...search all staff entering a prison every day just like visitors are searched. No need to spend all this money. Do your jobs!
Hobo
July 14, 2009 at 6:33 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
malthus (anonymous) says...
First, Thanks to the few who still have enough brain cells left between their ears to figure out that contraband can be brought into a facility a thousand different ways. Because we the tax payers don't want to ante up the problem will get worse. County Council has now made their detention officers suffer through some of the worst pay cuts imaginable while expecting them to perform one of the "Dirtiest Jobs" possible. Where else can a male openly masturbate towards a female and not be charged. Where can you be assaulted in front of a camera and the assailant be given time served or the charges dismissed.
Now follow this logic, County requires its Detention Officers to PASS a polygraph, psychological evaluation, Full criminal background check, credit checks, before being allowed to be interviewed. Detention officers are subject to random searches, drug/alcohol tests and can be ordered to take a polygraph. Yet Detention Officers are treated as the lowest of the low in law enforcement. A cop deals with a prisoner for about an hour maybe two, armed with a gun, tazer, pepper spray, and baton. Detention has to handle that same inmate for a twelve hour shift daily with just their hands, mouth and hopefully backup officers. Yet Detention Officers are seen as wannabes who can't handle being a real cop.
County Council has done the following:
Canceled the personal holiday
Canceled holiday pay unless you have to work that shift, then it is capped at eight hours.
Announced that Medical Benefit Costs will triple
Canceled the 401K contributions
Canceled tuition incentive programs
Detention Officers have to work in one of the worst environments possible and deal with the scum of society. In many ways they have to put their families second to fulfill their duties. In many ways they are more prisoners than the inmates they watch. The new fad in inmate supervision is one officer to SIXTY-FOUR inmates in an open bay with no doors. The Officer is locked in with the animals society wants off the streets.
All those cushy jobs where you can email or call your family are nice compared to being in a box trying to keep order while making less than the inmates you watch. Yes there will always be a bad apple that passes contraband to inmates, but I say lock them up and use their salary to pay the honest officers better.
July 14, 2009 at 7:14 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
LawOfficer (anonymous) says...
HOBO,
do you work at a prison??? No i can tell by your ignorant comment. Yes there are people running to the fence to throw packages over the fence, did you read this article or just get a wild hair and decide to make your self into a bigger fool(as if the name hobo wasn't enough)? The prison industry building is not even 20 yards from the fence, and as if the fence was going to stop them they will cut through it. The staff gets searched before they enter the prison every time. The perimeter is manned 24/7 by a vehicle that has to go around they entire perimeter. I suppose that isnt enought time for someone to throw something.. huh.. what you think hobo since you got they ideas? I know, here is an idea you do my job since you have all the sense!
MALTHUS,
county detention officer and county detention centers have nothing to do with state penitentiary or the correctional officer that have to do that job. They are also on a totally different budget, and this article has nothing to do with them. Thanks for your time!
July 14, 2009 at 7:36 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
malthus (anonymous) says...
Actually LawOfficer it does, please reread this section
"It is paramount that the state's jails and detention centers be allowed to use the technology, Ozmint said. If an inmate has access to a cell phone, he said, he guarantees that that inmate is up to no good."
This article lumps jails in with prisons and from the attitudes and comments, I doubt readers truly understand or care about the difference between a jail and a prison. Also SCDC Officers and Detention Officers deal with the same issues, except that SCDC pays less than most Counties do.
July 14, 2009 at 7:51 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
malthus (anonymous) says...
Also read the petition itself as Jails are specifically included.
July 14, 2009 at 7:58 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
hobo (anonymous) says...
Law Officer,
No, I do not work at a prison. I do know a few people that do, though, and they assure me that the staff DOES NOT get searched "before they enter the prison each time." Furthermore, LawOfficer, please refrain from commenting on my posts until you learn to construct a proper sentence.
Hobo
July 14, 2009 at 8:11 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Charleston1046 (anonymous) says...
Maybe the way to fix the problem is to not allow the prisoners to go outside. Why do they deserve to go outside?
July 14, 2009 at 8:20 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
LawOfficer (anonymous) says...
HOBO,
I work at a prison and I can assure YOU that they DO get searched EACH AND EVERY TIME. Also hobo I will comment on every post you write if I feel the need. Your worried about sentence construction, but with you ignorance it should read just right!
July 14, 2009 at 8:55 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
hobo (anonymous) says...
LawOfficer,
Shouldn't it be "Correction Officer"?
Sounds to me like you hate your job. If you go back to school and learn the proper use of commas and apostrophes, you may be able to find a better line of employment.
By the way, as a Correctional Officer, I would think you would be more concerned that the Department that you work for is more interested in spending $250,000 PER PRISON for this, in my humble opinion, load of garbage than they are about raising your salary! As a tax payer, I would be much more cordial to raising salaries than throwing all of this money out of a window.
At any rate, I'm done with you.
Hobo
July 14, 2009 at 9:18 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
LawOfficer (anonymous) says...
Hobo, I am way more concerned with being alive to have a salary than them raising it. Ill help you since apparently when you were speed reading this article you missed the little part where they saying they set up drops for drugs, tobacco, and other contraband, maybe even weapons with the phones... I love my job, its mindless, judgmental people like you that I hate. Also, law officer is fitting because after all I am an officer of the law and abide by it... and I am so proud of my title.
July 14, 2009 at 11:02 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Lazy2009 (anonymous) says...
How did inmates coordinate deliveries before cell phones? Frankly, I don't give a rip what some dude behind the wall does with his time. Wanna get high all day long, go for it Mr. Inmate. As for the weapons, it's the correctional officer's job to find the weapons before they are used. Are there no cameras watching the walls of SC prisons? It seems prison officials would take a huge interest in folks milling around a prison wall at night. It can't be that hard to ID and catch folks pitching stuff over the wall. I think additional cameras coupled with additional guards would do the trick. Lets spend that $250,000 on electric chairs.
July 14, 2009 at 11:38 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
malthus (anonymous) says...
Lazy, you are right on the money. 250000 could give each facility ten more officers. The perfect amount to form a team whose only job would be to search for contraband. BUT, I do disagree with letting inmates get high all day long. Many illicit drugs have dangerous side effects that put the officers in danger, although the idea of medicating them into a drooling stupor might be a better use of money. I am a fan of Maricoba County as they have found many ways to turn prisoners on to constructive tasks. While some of the techniques are questionable, I feel that creating programs that put inmates to work create revenue and make criminal activity less appealing. Instead of focusing on a technology that could and I stress could interfere with radio signals if the system does not function perfectly, focus on keeping the inmates too busy to play with phones. One factor that everyone ignores when discussing the jamming technology is that inmates can correspond with coded messages far more easily than complex phone smuggling. I know for a fact that this has been proven to happen, but it is not caught until the inmate is suspected of something.
Law Officer you do make a good point about staying alive, but finding a way to increase salary would boost morale and make officers worry more about the facility than about putting food on the table. I know many officers who see corrections and detention as a JOB (Just Over Broke) not as a duty. That attitude is what allows corruption to fester or officers to become lax in their duties. Bump up the pay and you will see a more positive work force that is more eager to do their best.
July 15, 2009 at 1:08 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Postandcourier.com is pleased to offer readers the enhanced ability to comment on stories. We expect our readers to engage in lively, yet civil discourse. Postandcourier.com does not edit user submitted statements and we cannot promise that readers will not occasionally find offensive or inaccurate comments posted in the comments area. Responsibility for the statements posted lies with the person submitting the comment, not postandcourier.com. If you find a comment that is objectionable, please click "report abuse" and we will review it for possible removal. Please be reminded, however, that in accordance with our Terms of Use and federal law, we are under no obligation to remove any third party comments posted on our website. Read our full Terms and Conditions.
Users can now build user-to-user connections, follow friends' recent posts, add an avatar that fits their personality, and more. If you have posted here before you'll need to sign up again, or if you've never posted before, start now by signing up!
- Most Commented
- Most Emailed
- Shared
- Upper King on rise: Hotels, apartments, restaurants changing face of downtown area
- Missing woman case gets murkier
- Missing woman's fiance found dead in his home
- Isle of Palms wants to patch beach
- Local homeowners seek foreclosure relief
- Veterans Job Fair set for Feb. 22 in North Charleston
- DAVID SLADE: S.C. offers hybrid car tax credit
- Advocating for cyclists
- Boeing powering up first local jet
- Facebook posts may cost you a job
