TN HJR0863

Tennessee General Assembly urges U.S. Congress to pass H.R. 2350 (S. 1137), sponsored by Rep. David Kustoff (TN) and Sen. Tom Cotton (AR), which would permit states to deploy cell-phone jamming systems in prisons

Federal law currently prohibits states from using cell-phone jamming technology in correctional facilities

A 2020 survey of 20 state corrections departments found 25,840 contraband cell phones confiscated in a single year

Contraband phones are used by inmates to direct drug trafficking, orchestrate violent crimes, execute fraud schemes, intimidate witnesses, and coordinate escape attempts

A bipartisan coalition of 30 state attorneys general has endorsed the federal legislation; the proposed jamming systems would be required to avoid disrupting emergency 9-1-1 signals