The Oklahoma Department of Corrections might soon have a long-forbidden security tool at its disposal.
The Federal Communications Commission voted unanimously Tuesday to propose rules authorizing state and local correctional facilities to utilize cell phone signal jamming technology. Several state officials, including Gov. Kevin Stitt and interim Department of Corrections director Justin Farris, have endorsed the proposal, arguing cell phone jammers would allow the state to crack down on criminal activity behind bars.
“The Commission will take public input on a proposal to make clear that, while jamming of authorized radio transmissions is not allowed, signals from illegal mobile devices smuggled into prisons are not authorized and thus can be actively blocked by FCC-approved devices,” an agency spokesperson wrote in a statement following the vote.
Contraband cell phones, often used to coordinate organized crime and extort family members of prisoners, have plagued Oklahoma prisons for decades. The Department of Corrections claims it has seized more than 4,000 of the devices, an amount equal to one for every seven state prisoners, thus far in 2025.
While signal jamming technology has been available for nearly a century, the federal government has banned it since 1934 over concerns that it could interfere with legitimate communications, such as 911 calls. Proponents of changing the rule argue that technology has advanced to the point where prison grounds can be microjammed without affecting civilian neighbors.
Various non-jamming efforts to curb contraband phone use have faltered. In 2020, the Department of Corrections launched a pilot program to equip prisoners with a cell phone detection bracelet. That initiative was called off after gang members threatened participants with violence.
In 2021, the agency received federal approval to deploy contraband interdiction systems, which are designed to detect and disable contraband phones without disrupting cell signals. But high costs have dissuaded many states from adopting the technology.
Kay Thompson, a spokesperson for the Department of Corrections, said the agency has started initial conversations with vendors and is optimistic that jamming technology could be rolled out quickly if the FCC grants authorization.
Thompson said the maximum-security unit at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester would be the agency’s top priority, followed by large medium-security prisons.
“The cost will affect how many we’re able to deploy at one time,” she said. “Eventually, it’s the plan to do the whole agency.”
Emily Barnes, founder of the Oklahoma prisoner advocacy group Hooked on Justice, said she supports the jamming technology to an extent. But such an initiative should be coupled with cheaper phone calls and more reliable state-issued tablets, she said. With little notice, the phone call rate from state prisons more than doubled effective Sept. 1.
Contraband cell phones have also been used as an accountability tool, Barnes said, to draw attention to issues such as lackluster food and violence behind bars.
“It is how a lot of drugs are coming in and hits are made,” Barnes said. “But for others, it’s just because they can’t afford to pay $300 or $400 per month for phone calls. They can watch their kid’s sporting events, stuff like that. Not everything is being used illegally.”
Barnes also fears violence could erupt at facilities that first adopt the technology.
“They’re so institutionalized, the only way they have a connection to the outside world is through the cell phone,” she said. “And they’re willing to risk their life for it.”
The FCC’s proposed rule change will enter a public comment and reply period in the coming weeks. The policy could take effect in early 2026.
