Cell Phone Contraband Act of 2010 Has Been Passed

(2010-07-22)

It looks like we can forget about the crazy prison cellphone jamming ideas that wardens have been wanting for the past few years. The House of Representatives has approved S. 1749, which will now make it against the law for prisoners to be in possession of a mobile phone or any other device that can access any wireless service. The Senate had approved this bill in April and now with the House also passing it, the only step left is the President's signature.

Follow the break to read more and to see a summary of the bill.

Cell phones are already banned at prisons but with this new law, it will make even owning one a punishable offense. CTIA wireless association president and CEO Steve Largent spoke on the new law.

CTIA and the wireless industry are pleased that the House joined the Senate in passing this important piece of legislation which would prohibit the possession or use of cell phones by federal prisoners. We strongly oppose prisoners having access to contraband phones and believe inmates, and anyone who supplies them with a device, should be severely punished.

While we aren't sure when the President will sign this bill into law, we do have a brief summary of what's about to be enacted.

Passed Senate amended. Cell Phone Contraband Act of 2010 - Amends the federal criminal code to include a phone or other device provided by a commercial mobile service as a "prohibited object" the provision of which to, or the possession of which by, a federal prisoner is prohibited.Directs the Comptroller General to submit a report to Congress within 90 days after the enactment of this Act on a study of:
(1) telephone rates within state and federal prisons and jails, to include information on interstate, intrastate, and collect calls made by prisoners;
(2) state and federal efforts to prevent the smuggling of cell phones and other wireless devices into prisons and jails; and
(3) cell phone use by inmates.

Govtrack.us: S. 1749: Cell Phone Contraband Act of 2010

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