Calif. mulls criminalizing cell phones in prison

According to News.com, one California state senator is trying to crack down on inmates using cell phones while serving time.

Prison inmates in California aren't really permitted to have cell phones. They have to forfeit their devices before being locked up. But that hasn't stopped thousands of phones from being smuggled into prisons each year. In fact, officials say that the number of cell phones confiscated in California prisons has doubled in the last year from 1,400 devices in 2007 to about 2,800 in 2008. And the problem appears to be getting worse this year.

California State Sen. John Benoit wants to make it a misdemeanor crime with a maximum penalty of a $5,000 fine for a prisoner to possess a cell phone in any state prison. The new bill he is introducing called SB 434.

emily | 9:36 AM | Inmates and Cell Phones |
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