U.S. Virgin Islands – V.I. Attorney General Gordon C. Rhea today co-lead a bipartisan coalition of 30 attorneys general calling on Congress to pass H.R. 2350 and S. 1137, federal legislation allowing states to deploy cell phone jamming systems in prisons. Introduced by Tennessee Congressman David Kustoff and Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton, the bill aims to disrupt inmates’ ability to orchestrate crimes from behind bars using smuggled cell phones.
“Cell phones in prisons have become a significant problem in the U.S. Virgin Islands. It’s crucial that we prevent their presence in our local correctional facilities. There have also been instances where inmates housed in Florida and other states have used cell phones to incite and orchestrate criminal activities here,” said Attorney General Rhea.
The coalition’s letter to Congress highlights how inmates exploit contraband phones to:
- Direct drug trafficking operations;
- Orchestrate violence inside and outside prison walls;
- Run sophisticated fraud schemes preying on vulnerable citizens;
- Intimidate witnesses and terrorize victims’ families; and
- Plot escape attempts endangering law enforcement and the public
Federal law currently bans states from using cell phone jamming technology, leaving correctional facilities defenseless against an escalating threat. Carefully designed to avoid disrupting emergency signals like 9-1-1, H.R. 2350 and S. 1137 would grant states the authority to deploy targeted jamming systems within prisons.
“This is not a partisan issue—it is a matter of public safety,” the letter stresses—noting the bipartisan urgency of the issue. A 2020 survey of 20 state corrections departments uncovered 25,840 contraband cell phones in a single year, a stark reminder of the scale of the crisis.
Tennessee Attorney General Skrmetti leads the effort, followed by U.S. Virgin Islands AG Rhea, and the attorneys general of Georgia and North Carolina. Attorneys general from Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Northern Mariana Islands, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia are united in urging Congress to take swift action and pass this critical legislation in 2025.
The full letter is attached here.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 27, 2025
Sandra Goomansingh
Media Relations Director
(340) 774-5666 ext. 10105
Email: sandra.goomansingh@doj.vi.gov