07 October 2023 , 22:11
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Prisoners with banned phones were caught out when a national emergency alert was sounded.
Millions of people received a test message alert noise made up of a vibration and loud sound on Wednesday, including inmates with contraband cell phones.
It meant that guards were easily able to spot those who had attempted to hide a phone in their cell. At least two phones were confiscated at Sing Sing Correctional Facility in New York and guards at FCI Coleman Law in Florida also reported two phones being seized following the alarm.
The test was conducted in order to see if the government's mass communication options would work in the event of a real emergency. The number of prisoner's phones confiscated nationwide is unknown.
The alert message said: "THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. The purpose is to maintain and improve alert and warning capabilities at the federal, state, local, tribal and territorial levels and to evaluate the nation's public alert and warning capabilities. No action is required by the public." The message was sent in either English or Spanish, depending on what language people had their device set to.
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A source in Nevada said inmates probably knew to switch off their phones before the test took place at the announced time. However, the test was conducted over a 30 minute window, so it still would have sounded if it was switched back on in that time frame.
Everyone with a cell phone was delivered the emergency alert (Getty Images)Federal law prevents inmates from having cell phones with them in prison. It is a growing issue in the prison system in across the states. Anyone found to have a cell phone while serving time could be charged with a Class E felony.
Prisoners who have cell phones are known to be involved in criminal activities such as drug dealing. Cell phones are one of the most smuggled items into prisons. According to the Tennessee Department of Correction, the felony is punishable by a fine of $3,000 for offenders who repeatedly break this law.
Corrections Commissioner Tony Parker said: "Contraband cellphones are a significant security threat, that makes possible the type of illegal activity that leads to criminal conspiracies between people inside our correctional environment and those on the outside.
"Inmates use these cellphones to engage in drug operations, sex trafficking, and other organized criminal activities that cause devastating consequences for public safety, and empower these criminals to continue a life of crime."
Last year 21 defendants were convicted for being involved in a drug trafficking operation led by inmates inside an Oklahoma prison. Inmates may also run scams with cell phones behind prison walls, which happened in 2019 when prisoners ran an elaborate sextortion scam from Lee Correctional Institution in South Carolina. The inmates posed as underage girls on dating websites.