Kevin Brady: “No one disagrees prisoners shouldn't have cell phones. Prisons ban them already. But some prisoners have a habit of…”

“No one disagrees prisoners shouldn't have cell phones. Prisons ban them already. But some prisoners have a habit of getting around the rules--even if it's a federal crime. And it's a dangerous problem. In Texas, we've had cases where prisoners on death row made threatening calls to victims, prosecutors and their families. Senator Feinstein's bill takes a baby step--but little more. We need to give our prison officials a more reliable weapon. The answer is allowing them to use devices that jam the cell signals--making it impossible for the phones to even work. We have the technology to do this and do it in a way that doesn't interfere with legitimate use--such as for communities that live nearby. I've introduced legislation, H.R. 560, the Safe Prisons Communications Act, that would create a process whereby a State or prison could petition the FCC to allow them to use the jamming devices, which are currently prohibited. This bill would save lives, and give our prisons the tools they need to really combat this problem. I ask my House colleagues to support bringing my legislation to the floor.”