Phone in prison, live from my cell

For years, the prison administration has spent millions of euros hunting mobile phones in prison. His absolute weapon: hundreds of jammers. So, are they effective?

To check if these cell phone jammer work, just take a look at social networks including the Periscope application that allows you to film yourself and chat live with anyone. This week, for example, an inmate was filming from his cell. Through the application, he answered questions from users. The exchange of about ten minutes was followed by a little over 1000 people.

Scramblers are effective on the 2G network

Why do not phone jammers work? Since 2003, the French prisons are equipped, 804 precisely have been installed. But according to Stéphane Barraut, prison supervisor, it’s as if there were not any. The problem is that the 804 jammers that equip French prisons blur the 2G network, but are ineffective against the 4G.

But what does the Ministry of Justice do? Jean-Jacques Urvoas did not wish to answer our questions. But he assures it, he took the problem. Three million euros will be invested in high technology jammers. In the meantime, this afternoon again, the same detainee was back online.

Last year, the prison administration seized 31,000 cell phones in prison, clearly still remaining.