Calif wants to stop phones used by likes of Manson

[CountAllVotes]

Source: Associated Press

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – California prison officials seized nearly 11,000 cell phones last year, some used to arrange extortions and assaults, others used by the likes of cult killer Charles Manson to connect with the outside world after more than four decades behind bars.

Manson became an unlikely face of the prison cell phone problem after he was caught calling and texting people in California, Florida, New Jersey and British Columbia. He had missed calls from Arkansas, Indiana and Massachusetts on the phone that guards discovered in March 2009, and he was caught with a second phone last month.

Officials have become so outraged at the notion of violent inmates like Manson possessing cell phones that they are trying new ways to strike back. Corrections officials tell The Associated Press that they are preparing to test a system that would capture every cell phone signal from a prison and block unauthorized calls, as California and other states search for technology to stop what has become a growing problem inside prison walls.

California legislators are also considering three proposed changes to state law that would step up enforcement against cell phone violators in prison.





Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110214/ap_on_re_us/us_california_prisons_cell_phones

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I have absolutely no problem with this. In fact, why the hell does CHARLES MANSON have a cell phone and why should We the People pay for it? :mad:

[sharp_stick]

1. We the people never paid for his phone

it was contraband not an allowed item. I don't think any jail system allows inmates to have phones legally.

I know the damned things are getting small but how would you manage to smuggle one of those damned things into an animal like Manson? The only thing I can think of is a bought off guard.

[CountAllVotes]

3. more on this here:

>>He obtained two cell phones despite being housed in California's only Protective Housing Unit, reserved for the most notorious inmates. They have their own exercise yard at Corcoran State Prison, and their meals are cooked by prison employees — instead of other inmates — for fear of poisoning.

Yet the 76-year-old Manson has been calling and texting people all over North America.

*******

I sure would not want to receive a text message from Charles Manson! Talk about a nightmare from hell! ACK!!!!!

[sharp_stick]

4. Imagine a text from Manson

nothing but a <3 and a "txt me bk" ;-)

It never ceases to amaze me that these guys can amass such a following of groupies... What kind of pathetic self-esteem would it take to actually want to be near one of them.

It sounds like the guards are in on this, there really can't be another way that it got to him.

[hughee99]

15. "Can U blive J. BBR didn't win the grammy. hit me bk. chuck" n/t

[Taverner]

30. I bring you...The Charles Manson Fan Club

http://www.charlesmansonfanclub.com/

Yes, its 100% real, and they sell t-shirts and copies of his record.

I think he's entitled to the money by law as well, since it was before Son of Sam that he was convicted.

[somone]

2. 'One prison guard made $150,000 in one year smuggling 150 phones to inmates.

He lost his job, but suffered no other punishment. The report also said a 2008 surprise inspection found 50 cell phones with prisoners' names on them in one prison worker's car.'
http://www.pe.com/localnews/opinion/editorials/stories/PE_OpEd_Opinion_D_op_14_ed_prisonphones.14b6b28.html

[LiberalFighter]

14. The guard should had received a fine and prison time.

[toddwv]

20. If these phones were used to order hits and other crimes

then the guard or any other prison worker should be indicted for aiding and abetting as well as whatever crime is attached to smuggling illicit goods into the prison sentence.

[Vinnie From Indy]

5. Really?

WTF? Did you actually think the prison system in CA was handing out cell phones and making taxpayers foot the bill? Damn!

[rasputin1952]

6. The idea of getting a call from Manson is interesting...

I've got a few things I'd like to tell that asshole...:evilgrin:

Judging by his pic, he looks like someone's enfeebled uncle that can barely get out of the sack for fear of soiling himself. I hope he lives to be 120...and every second of that is in solitary.

On the other hand...I would think the 3 calls he missed were from telemarketers...hope he got plenty of calls from them...:rofl:

[xxqqqzme]

7. Does he get his cell

phone bill at his prison address? How does that get paid?

[former9thward]

8. Probably a pre-paid phone. No bills.

[jwirr]

9. That was my question. Where is the money coming from. Outside?

[drm604]

10. I assume that they're prepaid phones.

The article says the phones are smuggled in, so I assume that they're prepaid by someone.

[NV Whino]

11. This really puzzles me

based on the cell phone reception I get. Seems to me it would be pretty easy to block those calls – just sign them up for ATT.

[Iggo]

17. +

:spank:
:rofl:

[EFerrari]

19. LOL

[xxqqqzme]

36. Boy, that's the truth.

2 more months and I'm free of ATT! What a happy day that will be!:woohoo:

[drm604]

12. The article mentions that guards have found sacks of phones

that had been tossed over prison walls.

This sounds odd to me. If they can manage to toss in sacks of phones couldn't they also toss in sacks of guns?

[somone]

13. Or sacks of money or drugs

or better food

[-..__...]

21. That would be bad Ju-Ju for the inmates.

They're probably smart enough to realize that if any firearm and/or ammo was discovered, it would result in an immediate and indefinite 24hr lock down.

Besides... lack of a firearm has never prevented inmates from killing one another before.

[Lucinda]

16. Wow. If there was no swastika in his forehead - I would have bet that wasn't him

He's changed a lot since the last photo I saw of him

[proud2BlibKansan]

18. Why don't prisons block cell phones???

I'll never understand that.

[apnu]

24. This is an idea I get.

Simple solution. Put in something that scrambles frequencies used by cell phones. Done, cheaply I bet. Matter closed.

[drm604]

25. It mentions this in the article.

Apparently it costs big money to do this but they are considering it.

[ManiacJoe]

27. Blocking is cheap.

"Managing" like they are testing is expensive. They should probably live with the "spillage" and just go with the blocking.

[drm604]

28. As long as the blocking doesn't extend beyond the prison walls.

I think the problem may be the possibility of blocking service in the immediate area around the prison. There might be legal problems with that. I don't know a lot about the technology so I could be mistaken, but there must be a reason they aren't considering the cheaper option.

[proud2BlibKansan]

32. They can block just the prison or part of it

Hotels do this. They block meeting rooms yet the guest rooms still have service.

[TheMadMonk]

34. The explanation I heard was "safety issues" and that the "kill" signal...

...could not be reliably limitted to a given area.

The technology exists and it's cheap as chips. IIRC it was developed to be marketed to cinemas, resraunts and the like.

Try telling idiots shouting on a train to tone it down or take it elsewhere. Take a look around and take note of all those self-important idiots with the handset glued to their ears or their eyes glued to the screen right up to and beyond the point of detriment to their own lives and the lives of others.

Apparently somewhere in the US constitution is an enshrined right to arseholery and getting right up the noses of other people. And god dammit, but you're "Merkins" and you're going to exercise those rights to the full.

[-..__...]

22. I wonder how long it would take...

for the inmates and prisoners rights groups to file a lawsuit complaining that capturing and blocking calls violates some imaginary right?

[thelordofhell]

23. I wonder......does Manson have a Twitter account?

[Xithras]

26. Who in the world would Charles Manson be texting?!?!?

He can't possibly have any followers anymore, can he?

[drm604]

29. It's a big world, there are all kinds of strange people,

including Manson groupies.

[saras]

31. Is this the whole story?

Cell phones aren't blocked because America, as a whole (i.e. large corporations and our courts) forbid the practice in general. It might interfere with the right of the cell phone companies to make more profit. Other countries block cell phones in theaters, opera houses, etc. but to get authorized to do so in the USA is vastly expensive, difficult, and complicated.

Secondly, what of the guards' cell phones? Blocking, so far, isn't specific enough to target individuals - and do you really want it to be?

Third - while we can mostly all agree to hate Manson, what about those political protesters who all get taken off to jail, and inform reporters of what's going on? Should their cell phones be blocked also?

I don't think cell phones are the issue - the fact that our prison systems are so poorly run is the issue. The cell-phone thing is mostly a red herring. Seriously - BAGS of phones for prisoners? WTF kind of prison tolerates THAT kind of violation of their security system?

[martymar64]

33. Technically it should be fairly easy to do. A short range RF jammer or two could do it.

Bureaucracy to get the authority to do would be a different story.

[Devil_Fish]

35. Protesters who get taken off to jail get their cell phone taken away.

prisoners are not allowed to have ANY personal items. maby a deck of cards, or paper and pencils (the really short ones), but thats about it.

[Rhiannon12866]

37. They now have cell phone sniffing dogs in prisons

I knew I read about this somewhere, recently. Apparently, they're in high demand, and your article explains why. :(

Cell-phone sniffing dogs catch global attention
http://washingtonexaminer.com/local/cell-phone-sniffing-dogs-catch-global-attention#