1,000 Cell Phones Smuggled Into CA Prisons
Law enforcement officials are afraid that inmates could organize simultaneous riots in all of the state's 33 correctional facilities, or hatch an escape plot via text messages or the internet.
Having a cell phone can also be very lucrative for a prisoner, potentially more lucrative than drugs. Inmates can rent the phone to other prisoners for up to $20 for 5 minutes. A perk of this business for the inmates is that it's not a felony, so if they get busted (again), there will likely be no additional jail time.
That said, selling drugs does have one advantage: Its hard to look slick trying to inconspicuously palm off a Nokia N76.
From Textually.org
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Robert @ Jul 2nd 2007 4:44PM
Hard to beleive this is happening ,I mean if you can't keep the criminals in jail from smuggling something this large how can we keep our borders secure and defend against terrorists ?? Just a wee thought !
wellduh @ Jul 3rd 2007 4:42AM
Crygenic storage. Simply pass laws that say felons implicitly volunteered by committing crimes. If prisoners are convicted for violent crimes or ambitious enough to get 7 years or more - freeze them. I suspect there is a lot less chance of riots and other prison problems when no prisoner faces more than 7 years and none of that for violence.
Give the prisoner the option of when to attempt thaw - at sentence end or wait until a given success criteria is achieved. While we can't guarantee to thaw them yet, we will learn eventually. The early thaws will actually be serving society rather than collecting free room and board.
On volume basis it will save the public money. Prisons will need a lot less space per prisoner. Prison staff will mainly be maintenance. Vastly reduced security can focus almost exclusively only preventing break-ins. Electricity etc fo cryo storage will tend to balance out against no cost for food, medicine, etc. for breathing prisoners.
wellduh @ Jul 3rd 2007 4:44AM
Imprisonment is the modern replacement for the ancient practice of enslaving criminals and reducing their status to that of animals. All races practiced it with in the last 1000 years - some within the last 200 years. Overall imprisonment is merely an economic siphon to the prison suppliers and staff and even the prisoners.
The early inventors of imprisonment never thought it would change minds. Originally it was used only when the normal punishments (beheading, chopping off hand, etc) on a VIP would cause more trouble. By imprisoning them, the government negated a person's influence until it made no difference to the government's plans. Often that was a lifetime.
ANNE PEARIGEN @ Jul 23rd 2007 3:39PM
WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT, LEAVE IT TO A CRIMINAL OR HIS MULE TO THINK OF SUCH A THING. I WORKED IN A PRISON FOR MANY YEARS AND BELIEVE ME YOU DON'T WNAT TO KNOW WHAT GOES ON IN THOSE PLACES.
healnghanz @ Aug 14th 2007 12:19AM
it is very easy to jam cell phones. why doesnt the prison system do it?