South Carolina has new ally in war on cell phones in prison

Cell phones are weapons of mass destruction in South Carolina prisons.

That's what Robert Johnson, a former officer with the S.C. Dept. of Corrections (SCDC), told a group of lawmakers Thursday in Columbia.

Johnson was shot six times in his home after a hit on him was ordered from inside prison walls.

Johnson was there Thursday to testify on behalf of the Bryan Stirling, SCDC Director, asking for more prison funding in the war on contraband.

“They need to see that there is a victim. I am the face of the victim," Johnson said. "When you have inmates having access to unmonitored cellphones you are going to have problems.”

They are expensive problems for South Carolina taxpayers, Stirling explained.

A managed access system to block illegal cell phone use? $522,000, and that's just at one prison, Lee Correctional.

A system to detect drones flying in contraband? Another $240,000.

50-foot netting at 11 institutions around the state? Nearly $9,000,000.

“These folks are incarcerated physically, but virtually, they are out there and that’s a problem,” Stirling said.

But Stirling, Johnson and the South Carolina prison system aren't fighting their battle against contraband alone.

An unexpected ally in their fight stepped up Thursday, in the form of a wireless industry representative.

Gerard Keegan is a representative of CTIA, an organization that represents the interests of the wireless industry, which has in the past been opposed to cell phone control measures in prisons, fearing impacts to the general public.

“Captain Johnson is a hero and it’s because of his story that we need to ensure that solutions are deployed to combat this story,” Keegan said during his testimony.

The South Carolina legislators were floored.

“This is the first day I’ve ever heard that the cell phone industry is interested in partnering and trying to resolve these issues,” said State Rep. G. Murrell Smith.

Smith's colleague Sen. Thomas Alexander, agreed.

“Finally, after years of beating the drum, everybody is kind of getting on board for some technology that will address what you’re wanting to be done for that,” he said.

Johnson, too, said he was shocked to see the cooperation from the wireless industry. He credits the FCC in part for the new attitude.

“It has been a complete change. I am thoroughly overjoyed with their change. Now they say, ‘ok it’s a problem. We’ll help you,” Johnson said.

Now, all parties must work together to find a solution.

A scientist from Virginia Tech is looking into the next steps for managed access and jamming technologies. His work is almost ready to be field tested, he told the committee.

The first place this technology will be field tested is at Lee Correctional, officials announced.