Georgia Attorney General Files FOIA Request Over FCC Ban on Cellphone Jammers in Prisons

Attorney General Chris Carr has filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) following the agency’s refusal to allow state and local law enforcement to use cellphone jamming technology in prisons and jails. Carr’s request seeks all inter-agency correspondence related to his June 4, 2024, letter urging the FCC to permit jamming technology, as well as documentation of the FCC’s response and details about the use of such devices at federal prisons.

“Law enforcement is struggling to combat contraband cellphones due to an outdated policy that the federal government refuses to address or reconsider in any way,” Carr said. “The solution is simple – by blocking the signal to contraband cellphones, we can help put a stop to violent crime that’s directed from behind bars and enhance overall public safety efforts. If the Biden administration won’t work with us, they should get out of the way and allow our officers to do their jobs effectively.”

The FCC currently prohibits the use of cellphone jammers, including by state and local governments. Contraband cellphones in prisons have been linked to violent crimes, including orchestrated murders, kidnappings, and drug trafficking. Carr cited several examples, such as an incarcerated Georgia gang leader using a contraband cellphone to order a hit that killed an 88-year-old veteran, a North Carolina gang leader directing a prosecutor’s father’s kidnapping, and California prison gangs trafficking drugs and ordering murders from behind bars.

In his June 2024 letter, Carr argued that the FCC’s stance is based on outdated legislation and noted that federal prisons, including at least one in Georgia, already use jamming devices. He stated: “Nothing in the language of 47 U.S.C § 333 prohibits the FCC from revising its position to allow state agencies to use cell phone jamming devices in prisons.”

Carr has also partnered with the Georgia Department of Corrections to investigate and prosecute incarcerated individuals engaged in gang activity and smuggling contraband into correctional facilities. Additionally, in January 2023, Carr joined 21 other attorneys general in calling on Congress to pass legislation permitting states to implement cellphone jamming systems in prisons.