US Senate Passes Bill Allowing Cellphone-Jamming In Prisons

Status
Not open for further replies.

rescuecomm

Member
Joined
Jun 20, 2005
Messages
1,456
Location
Travelers Rest, SC
Assuming that the 800 mhz cell phone receive frequencies will be saturated by a wide band RF signal, does this mean that the prisons will have to use VHF and UHF channels for their communications?

Bob
 

gewecke

Completely Banned for the Greater Good
Banned
Joined
Jan 29, 2006
Messages
7,452
Location
Illinois
I'm guessing that the rf needed to effectively prevent on site cell signals from being received would be pretty low,compared to the rf used by corrections rptrs or their portables.
N9ZAS
 

INDY72

Monitoring since 1982, using radios since 1991.
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Dec 18, 2002
Messages
14,655
Location
Indianapolis, IN
This works both ways.. Corrections officers and admin can now no longer use cells for comms... So save the agency money and turn in the cells LOL....
 
N

N_Jay

Guest
All depends how they do it.

Hopefully it will get the cell companies off their buts to deploy better solutions.

Pure "jamming" is almost as stupid as the US Senate.
 

kenisned

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Jan 9, 2005
Messages
634
Location
Unincorporated Arapahoe
Would there be a way for the CO's to instead just track down the signals from illegal phones?

Jamming seems like such an easy out and just covers up the real problem. How are those phones getting in to begin with.

I would imagine if you can get a phone in, then you can get all sorts of other things in.

.
 
N

N_Jay

Guest
Would there be a way for the CO's to instead just track down the signals from illegal phones?

Jamming seems like such an easy out and just covers up the real problem. How are those phones getting in to begin with.

I would imagine if you can get a phone in, then you can get all sorts of other things in.

.

Why do it right, when you can write a stupid and futile law?:roll:

Get with the program!:lol::twisted::lol:
 

kb2vxa

Completely Banned for the Greater Good
Banned
Joined
Mar 22, 2005
Messages
6,100
Location
Point Pleasant Beach, N.J.
"I would imagine if you can get a phone in, then you can get all sorts of other things in."
You have a very good imagination, they use them to place orders for drugs among other black market items and run gang activities all from the comfort of their cell (phone).

"Why do it right, when you can write a stupid and futile law?"
Good point, wouldn't it be more practical to get the FCC to put an exemption clause in the law against "deliberate and malicious interference"?

Actually a jammer need not emit a broad band signal to be effective, just block the control channel and the phone is rendered useless. You don't need a whole lot of power either, a few emitters in key locations will do it and there is a bonus, the guards' phones will operate normally except in those areas where prisoners are housed.

"Get with the program!"
Don't tell me, write your elected representatives. Er, maybe I'm being a bit presumptive in assuming they can read.... never mind.
 

Squad10

Member
Joined
Nov 8, 2007
Messages
922
My angle would be intercept the cell communication for investigative intelligence. LE has equipment that can monitor selected cell targets. The equipment disregards those not targeted by a simple subscriber power off then on.
 

MTS2000des

5B2_BEE00 Czar
Joined
Jul 12, 2008
Messages
5,234
Location
Cobb County, GA Stadium Crime Zone
"I would imagine if you can get a phone in, then you can get all sorts of other things in."
You have a very good imagination, they use them to place orders for drugs among other black market items and run gang activities all from the comfort of their cell (phone).

"Why do it right, when you can write a stupid and futile law?"
Good point, wouldn't it be more practical to get the FCC to put an exemption clause in the law against "deliberate and malicious interference"?

Actually a jammer need not emit a broad band signal to be effective, just block the control channel and the phone is rendered useless. You don't need a whole lot of power either, a few emitters in key locations will do it and there is a bonus, the guards' phones will operate normally except in those areas where prisoners are housed.

"Get with the program!"
Don't tell me, write your elected representatives. Er, maybe I'm being a bit presumptive in assuming they can read.... never mind.

The problem is it's not just cellular (part 80) you have to disable, but the PCS blocks, and then there is Nextel/iDEN on both 800MHz ESMR and 900MHz in some areas for interconnect, they are part 90. Such an "intelligent" inhibit device is outside the price range of anyone but military and defense customers. The types of devices these drooling invalids in the senate approve for use are the sub $1000 wideband noise makers which pose a real threat to the entire spectrum noted above, including the public safety users in that spectrum themselves.

This is a dumb idea proposed by people who don't know anything about RF and the grave danger this can put the very people it supposed to protect in harms way by inhibiting their communications. Any prison where 800MHz systems are use are at risk of potentially harmful interference to their communications systems. Stupid stupid stupid.

You want to blame the real culprit? The used car salesman at the FCC that are too busy selling off radio spectrum to bother to do any engineering work and let crap like this slide through, but then none of the commissioners have any real engineering or technical background, just a bunch of pork barrel lawyers for sale to the highest bidder.
 

Tim-in-TX

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Oct 12, 2004
Messages
288
Location
Pearland TX
Now if only they would ban weights, TVs, radios, and actually lock them up for a majority of each day then prison might actually a punishment instead of a University for criminals.
...but I digress.
 

davidbond21

Member
Joined
May 18, 2005
Messages
531
Location
New Braunfels, TX
Now if only they would ban weights, TVs, radios, and actually lock them up for a majority of each day then prison might actually a punishment instead of a University for criminals.
...but I digress.

I think there are those in the corrections industry who would disagree with you. Where you see criminals being coddled, the actual stewards of these inmates may see a system of privileges/reward that requires very little effort on the part of corrections officials to help elicit/compel the desired behavior from people that are ostensibly violent and dangerous and are not inclined to otherwise obey authority.
 
N

N_Jay

Guest
My angle would be intercept the cell communication for investigative intelligence. LE has equipment that can monitor selected cell targets. The equipment disregards those not targeted by a simple subscriber power off then on.

hu????:confused:

How are they suposed to know which phones are "Targets"?
 

INDY72

Monitoring since 1982, using radios since 1991.
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Dec 18, 2002
Messages
14,655
Location
Indianapolis, IN
Exactly N_Jay... With a jammer in operation, forget using 800 MHz TRS in the facilities for Comms,.. This forces them to go to Conventional Only for interior work, and also kills any ability for giving a "21" unless the CO's can go find an landline in the facility. But oh well we stopped the criminal from making a call. Now if they ca design a blanket device that can detect shanks, toilette vodka......
 

INDY72

Monitoring since 1982, using radios since 1991.
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Dec 18, 2002
Messages
14,655
Location
Indianapolis, IN
Elroy, they do not allow this... Criminals are notorious for devising ingenious ways of smuggling things in that are contraband. The only way to be absolutely sure that nothing gets in is to Ban cells by employees, and do full searches of EVERY person with access to prisoners. This unfortunately would mean BCS's.... Thats a whole other legal battle, but actually is needed.
 

Squad10

Member
Joined
Nov 8, 2007
Messages
922
hu????:confused:

How are they suposed to know which phones are "Targets"?

Register known (non target) phones on the surveillance equipment, then the equipment monitors the (local unregistered) uplink and network frequencies. Normally a Court Order is required to monitor specific cell phone(s). The legal implications would be interesting for using this technique within a prison.
 
N

N_Jay

Guest
Register known (non target) phones on the surveillance equipment, then the equipment monitors the (local unregistered) uplink and network frequencies. Normally a Court Order is required to monitor specific cell phone(s). The legal implications would be interesting for using this technique within a prison.

It seems that you think this is a lot easier then it really is.
 

Squad10

Member
Joined
Nov 8, 2007
Messages
922
It seems that you think this is a lot easier then it really is.

Technically, outside of a prison, I know it's easy. Inside a prison, it may or may not be easy, both from a technical and/or legal standpoint. I'm not aware if the equipment has been used sucessfully or unsucessfully in a prison setting, maybe you are???
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top