In the ten Saxon prisons in Dresden, more and more banned mobile phones appeared. Recently, the number of mobile phones and smartphones seized from detainees has decreased. According to data from the US Department of Justice, there were 454 items in 2015, 281 items in the previous year, and 372 items in the previous year. A spokesperson said that the previous measures have worked. In particular, inspections conducted with mobile phone dogs and detention and work areas were not convincing. As of June 2018, 166 results have been found.
In 2019, a handheld jammer mobile phone reception system will be installed in the two largest detention centers in Dresden and Leipzig-at a cost of approximately 2.7 million euros. A spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that this is the first time a mobile phone lock has appeared. In some cases, detainees use illegal mobile phones to threaten, insult, coerce or blackmail witnesses, relatives or victims, and organize illegal drugs or pornography.
Possession and use of mobile phones are prohibited by law. The spokesperson said, however, these devices are still smuggled from outside, especially when visiting, returning from the outside or throwing them on the wall. In some cases, they visited factories for detention, delivery of goods and packages, and visits by employees and outside employees.
Attorney General Sebastian Gemkow (Sebastian Gemkow) also regarded this decline as a sign of the good work of prison staff. But he also believes that there are other potentials for implementing laws banning mobile phones in prisons. According to his spokesperson, especially in pretrial detention, it is important to prevent illegal communications between the detainee and the outside world due to the risk of being covered up.
Prison staff sometimes illegally receive prisoners’ cell phones. For example, in March 2017, a former prison guard was sentenced to prison for providing mobile phones to two prisoners. Vehicles entering and leaving are carefully inspected, and sometimes inspection dogs, detectors and probes are used. A spokesperson for the ministry said that safety nets and privacy screens also make it more difficult to throw phones on the wall from the outside. For safety reasons, prisoners and visitors can even be closely monitored. The Congressional Green Party criticized agencies for using cell phones and jammer tracking devices. Instead, they advocate better opportunities for prisoner communication and landline communication.