Associated Press
ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Twenty governors have signed a letter to support legislation in Congress to allow states to jam contraband cell phones in prisons.
The bipartisan legislation would enable governors to petition the Federal Communications Commission to use wireless technology to render illegal cell phones useless in prison.
In a letter, the governors say thousands of illegal calls are made by prisoners each year, enabling them to continue their criminal enterprises from behind bars.
The bill has been approved by a Senate committee, and a full Senate vote could come this fall.
The supporting governors are from Maryland, South Dakota, West Virginia, South Carolina, Kansas, Oregon, Kentucky, North Dakota, Mississippi, Iowa, Nevada, Utah, Louisiana, Illinois, Alabama, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Connecticut, California and the U.S. Virgin Islands.