In June, the Department of Justice released a report outlining solutions to prevent criminal activity in prisons: It successfully tested jammers to stop cell phone signals from smuggled cell phones in Maryland prisons.
This news spread quickly in corrections around the world. For Brian Stirling, director of the South Carolina Department of Corrections, this news confirmed his belief that interference technology is the best, cheapest, and most effective way to stop the proliferation of mobile phones.
The GSM jammer can be a small, cheap box that can send continuous sound to the antenna, thereby effectively preventing the mobile phone from making or receiving calls. Jammers are usually cheap-a Google search reveals many options, ranging in price from $119 to $650-and can be easily ordered online.
However, critics warned that if the jam spreads, the consequences will be disastrous. They argued that there are many evil causes-money, control of the new system, and criminal reasons-to support a punishment system that would interfere with legalization.
