Senate Takes First Step To Blocking Cell Services At PrisonsSenate Takes First Step To Blocking Cell Services At Prisons

A Senate panel has given preliminary approval to legislation that would allow individual states to jam or block cellular signals at prisons. Prisoners aren't allowed to use cell phones, but manage to get their hands on them anyway -- sometimes leading to deadly outcomes.Cell phones are contraband inside prisons. Unfortunately, they are snuck in by friends and relatives and manage to get into the hands of convicted criminals anyway. This may not seem like a huge deal, but one Baltimore city jail prisoner used a cell phone to order a hit on a witness. The result? Murder.

Its for this and other reasons that South Carolina's prison chief -- along with the chiefs of 26 other states -- approached the federal government seeking a solution.

At issue is this: Only the federal government has the right and authority to block/jam cellular signals. Other governing bodies, including states and local municipalities, don't have the ability to jam cell signals. The states want this to change, and it looks like the senate just might agree.

The Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee approved a bill that would allow states to seek permission to block cell signals. The bill has been sent to the full senate for consideration.

A few thorny issues remain.

Jamming cellular signals isn't an easy or perfect thing to do. Areas surrounding prisons could be left without cellular service if the jamming equipment is not set up properly.

The Federal Communications Commission will be placed in charge of overseeing the process, the equipment, the set-up and other details to make sure citizens and local governments aren't deprived of cellular signals and left in the dark.

Personally, I think this is all good. As long as it is implemented correctly, prisons should have the authority to make sure prisoners aren't breaking the rules regarding cell phones. Granted, it would be better if cell phones could be effectively kept from entering prisons in the first place, but this solution might just be the only one that works.