Attorney General Kris Mayes has announced her support for legislation aimed at reducing the use of contraband cell phones in prisons. She joins a bipartisan group of 30 other attorneys general in urging Congress to pass H.R. 2350 and S. 1137. The proposed federal measures, introduced by Tennessee Congressman David Kustoff and Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton, would allow states to deploy cell phone jamming systems in correctional facilities.
Mayes emphasized the danger posed by these phones: "Contraband cell phones give dangerous individuals the power to direct drug trafficking, commit fraud, and threaten innocent people from behind bars. This legislation is about giving states the tools we need to protect the public and stop violent criminals from continuing to operate prison-based crime rings."
The coalition's letter to Congress highlights the use of these phones by inmates to conduct drug operations, instigate violence, run fraud schemes, intimidate witnesses, and plan escapes. Currently, federal law prohibits states from using jamming technology, limiting the ability of correctional facilities to combat this issue. The new legislation is designed to precisely target jamming systems within prisons without interfering with emergency signals.
"This is not a partisan issue—it is a matter of public safety," asserts the letter from the attorneys general. A survey in 2020 found nearly 26,000 contraband phones in 20 state corrections departments, reflecting the magnitude of the problem. Led by Tennessee Attorney General Skrmetti, and joined by officials from states such as Georgia, North Carolina, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, the coalition aims to prompt Congress into action on this critical legislation in 2025.