SC Department of Corrections cracks down on contraband devices

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – The South Carolina Department of Corrections has effectively been working on identifying contraband devices in prisons. This follows a recently released video of an inmate calling his cellphone service because his contraband device no longer had service.

The Department of Corrections has been working with the Federal Communications Commission to identify contraband devices and jam the signals.

In the video, you can hear the cell provider say, “T-Mobile has been ordered to disable service to the account because it has been associated with a contraband device.” The inmate then asks “What can I do to get it cut back on?”

To view the full video, click here.

“So this phone that they were calling about, was a phone at Lee Correctional,” said Bryan Stirling, Director of the Department of Corrections. “It was one of the 875 phones that have been disabled since July. They were calling T-Mobile to try to get that phone turned back on. As you can see they were unsuccessful.”

Officials with the Department of Corrections say South Carolina is the first in the state to use the FCC to identify contraband devices and deny service. Director Stirling says he is planning on extending this technology to the 21 prisons across the state with viable funding.

Director Stirling says the budget process is moving forward, and he has requested $30 million in funding for this technology. Gov. McMaster approved $23 million in the budget and hearings are scheduled in the next few months in the General Assembly to determine how much money will be funded.