re: Why are there cell phones in a prison... in the first place?
Exactly my thoughts as I read this!! WTH, this is prison, if you can’t keep something like a cell phone out of there what chance to do you have of controlling other aspects of a prisoner’s existence. I would just have the ability to monitor any cell phone conversations originating on the property, then use tapes of the talks to indict and convict those who plan murders from there via their cell phone.
Either way though, I find it disturbing that they don’t have control over what someone locked up has access to or in their possession. I know there’s a lot more to it than meets the eye, especially the eye of someone as lacking in knowledge and understanding of prison life, but gosh it seems like they could keep things out of their possession.
Perhaps someone who is experienced in the field could enlighten us on why our expectations are not reasonable. I would like a quick lesson on prison life.
Cell phones are smuggled in by various methods. Visitation, bad officers, etc.
Another answer is the Faraday cage. Embed sufficiently fine metal mesh in walls, doors, and windows. This physically contains the signal.
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There used to be no communication out of a prison, and with good reason. You could send and receive mail, but it was highly scrutinized and censored. Maybe we could pay Haiti to take them :)