Inmate Cellphones A Growing Problem in California Prisons

The increase in the number of confiscated inmate cellphones (or "contraband cellphones" as they are referred to in the prison system) has led to great concern among California legislators that the proliferation of inmate cellphones is a growing security risk as inmates are using these phones to commit further criminal activity.

The report, written by Matthew Cate who is the secretary of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, indicates that inmates are using cellphones to commit a wide variety of crimes including, but not limited to, escape planning, restraining order violations, use of stolen credit cards to purchase inmate quarterly packages and the coordination of smuggling contraband into prisons.

The increase in the number of inmate cellphones being confiscated is due, in large part, to Operation Disconnect. Operation Disconnect involves increased searches for cellphones by prison guards who utilize the assistance of Caesar, the cellphone sniffing dog. (I am not making this up.)

Democratic Senator Alex Padilla (D-Pacoima) proposed legislation two years ago that would have made it a crime for inmates to possess cellphones in prison and further sought for more thorough screening methods for visitors and prison employees. However, do to California budget crisis, Padilla's proposed inmate cellphone legislation was put on the shelf.

Sen. Padilla's proposed legislation was two years ago. Now the inmate cellphone problem is much greater than it was two years ago but, unfortunately, the state's budget crisis has also grown. Much of the focus on California's prison system is on reducing the prison population, making cuts and, potentially, closing prison facilities. As such, any other attempts to curb the inmate cellphone problem in California prisons have met the same fate at Sen. Padilla's proposed legislation.

So, for now, it looks as though the fight against inmate cellphones in California prisons falls squarely in the paws of Caesar and Operation Disconnect.

Written by Gabriel Dorman
Los Angeles, California
gabedorman@gmail.com
www.criminaldefenseduilawyer.com/blog/
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