A report issued by the Justice Department has revealed a new approach to mitigating criminal activities in prisons: the successful implementation of a signal jammers that obstructed mobile signals from illicitly introduced phones in a Maryland correctional facility.

The announcement disseminated swiftly across various prisons. For Brian Sterling, who oversees the South Carolina Department of Prisons, this news confirmed his stance that jamming technology is the most cost-effective and impactful method to prevent the entry of phones into correctional institutions.

A cell phone jammers is a small and cost-effective apparatus that generates a continuous tone directed at an antenna, which effectively hinders any mobile phone from making or receiving calls. Generally, these jamming devices are inexpensive, with various models available online, ranging in price from $119 to $650.

For an extended period, prison officials have maintained that inmates are resourceful in their attempts to introduce phones into correctional institutions. In South Carolina, Sterling observed that couriers would navigate through forested regions, tossing backpacks containing contraband over the prison walls; furthermore, drones would monitor prison yards, releasing phones to inmates when guards were not present.

We require a comprehensive set of tools to effectively confront this challenge.

Sterling has implemented 50-foot nets around his facility, eliminated trees to hinder the escape of drones after they have been deployed, installed sophisticated metal detectors, and collaborated with the Justice Department in numerous prosecutions of staff members for the illegal transportation of cell phones.

In a phone interview, Sterling stated, "We are in a state of war. It is essential that we utilize all necessary tools to confront this challenge."

The pivotal moment for Sterling was marked by the shooting of one of his correctional officers. On March 5, 2010, Captain Robert Johnson was at his home in Sumter, South Carolina, when a gunman invaded the premises and shot him six times at close range with a .38-caliber revolver. The assailant, Robert Odell Brown, 33, was killed in February during a violent altercation among inmates at the Lee County Correctional Facility in Bishopville, South Carolina.

The incident was coordinated by the Lee County Correctional Facility through the use of a cell phone. Following this event, Sterling has been focused on introducing jammers into correctional facilities.

Another viable solution to jamming is the implementation of small box antennas, which are cost-effective at roughly $400 and can adequately cover a block with about 10 units. The boxes require interconnection, but once the system is operational, all phones will seamlessly connect to these antennas, ensuring that signals do not escape the designated area. Levitan noted that this strategy can effectively block calls without the need for the forceful measures associated with jamming technology, as long as the facility maintains oversight of the equipment.

According to the findings, the operational costs of a controlled access system compared to jamming are minimal, and controlled access is identified as a more flexible method for restricting cell phone use. The installation of jamming systems in correctional institutions necessitates a precision-based approach, which is significantly more costly.