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State Officials Urge Federal Legislation to Block Cell Phone Signals From Prison

By Steve Hall

Last year, contraband cell phones turned up on Texas death row, with one inmate repeatedly calling a state senator and a journalist.  The problem is not limited to Texas, however, and earlier this week, officials from a number of states called for federal legislation.Let's begin with "Texas seeks OK to jam cell phones," written by Amy D'Onofrio for the Thursday Houston Chronicle.Texas officials urged Congress on Wednesday to permit states to electronically jam cell phone calls made by prisoners. State Sen. John Whitmire, D-Houston, and Inspector General John Moriarty of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, told lawmakers about a death row inmate who used a cell phone he bought for $2,100 from a prison guard to make threats against Whitmire last October...continue to full post

Full post as published by StandDown Texas Project on July 17, 2009 (boomark / email).