FCC to Vote on Rules Allowing Prisons to Jam Contraband Cellphones, AG Wilson Weighs In

South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson is applauding a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announcement that it will vote next month on final rules allowing correctional facilities to use technology to jam contraband cellphones.

The proposed rules would give state and local correctional facilities the option to use cellphone jamming technology to disrupt cellular transmissions from unauthorized devices. The rules would permit the practice but would not require facilities to adopt it.

Wilson has supported the proposal for several years, citing concerns that inmates use contraband cellphones to coordinate crimes, intimidate witnesses and threaten public safety.

In September 2025, Wilson joined a coalition of 22 state attorneys general in a letter supporting the proposed rules and allowing state prisons to disrupt cellular signals from contraband devices.

In March 2025, he also joined a bipartisan group of attorneys general urging Congress to address the threat posed by unauthorized cellphones in correctional facilities.

The FCC’s upcoming vote represents a step toward giving correctional facilities another tool to prevent inmates from using illicit devices to communicate beyond prison walls.

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Patrick Byrne

Patrick Byrne lives in Tega Cay with his wife and two daughters. After 25 years working for a Big 4 bank, he retired to pursue his passion for writing. Additional articles and content can be found on his blog (reverian1776.blogspot.com) and freethepeople.org.