In most #prisons, inmates are forbidden from possessing mobile phones due to their ability to communicate with the outside world and other security issues. Mobile phones are one of the most smuggled items into prisons.
They provide inmates the ability to make and receive unauthorized phone calls, send email and text messages, use social media, and follow news pertaining to their case, among other forbidden uses.[1][2] Methods of smuggling Most #mobilephones are smuggled in by #prisonstaff, who often do not have to go through security as rigorously as visitors.
Security of staff is often less intense because this would be time-consuming on the part of the staff, union prison employees are paid for this time, and it would increase the overall cost of operations.[6] More rarely, they are smuggled in by visitors, who must undergo tougher security checks, by inmates who are permitted to leave, or by outsiders who establish contact with inmates alongside the prison fence. Once inside prison walls, the devices end up in the hands of inmates who purchase them with cash, which is also contraband in most prisons. Black market prices vary by prison, and can be up to US$1000.[1]
