Pubdate: Mon, 15 Sep 2014
Source: Vancouver Sun (CN BC)
Copyright: 2014 Postmedia Network Inc.
Contact:  http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/477
Author: Jim Bronskill
Page: A8

CELLPHONE SEIZURES SPIKE AS OFFICIALS SCRAMBLE TO KEEP THEM OUT OF PRISONS

OTTAWA - Annual seizures of mobile phones from federal prisoners have 
more than doubled in recent years as correctional officials try to 
prevent their clandestine use in drug trafficking and organized crime.

Officials confiscated 137 phones from inmates across the country 
through the first 10 months of the fiscal year, according to the 
latest numbers from Correctional Service of Canada.

That's up from 51 phones in 2008-09 and 94 devices in 2009-10, 
figures released under the Access to Information Act show.

Officials are grappling with how to keep the phones out of 
institutions and stop inmates from using the devices that do slip behind bars.

"Worldwide, prisons are struggling to deal with the problem of how to 
keep cellphones out of the hands of inmates," says an internal 
briefing note prepared for senior Public Safety officials. New 
Zealand, Ireland, Australia, France and Mexico are using jamming 
technology in some prisons, says the March 2012 note, disclosed under 
the access law. The United States introduced legislation in 2009 to 
allow jamming in institutions, though the bill died the following year.

"As you are aware, access to a cellphone provided inmates the 
continuous potential to be involved in criminal activities outside 
the institution - including drug trafficking and organized crime 
activities - from within an institution," the note says.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom