Cell Phone Detection in Prisons

There is a huge problem with Contraband Cell Phones in Prisons, Jails and Correctional facilities across

the nation. Cell Phones are smuggled in by various methods, including in some cases by the guards

themselves. There have been many attempts at Cell Phone Detection to tackle this problem, including

Cell Phone Dogs, Metal Detectors, Hand-Held scanners, and other Cell Phone Detection devices. Dogs

are expensive and need handlers, Metal Detectors are usually only in entryways, and Hand-Held

scanners are hit or miss, and required the phone to be constantly transmitting. One solution that does

seem to work is constant Cell Phone Detection in the facility.

One such product from Cellbusters called the Zone Protector has the ability to cost effectively and

successfully provide you with a very high level of Cell Phone Detection, that can be monitored 24 hours

a day. Many of these detectors can be networked together and managed by a central monitoring

software called Zone Manager. Using a map of the facility in the software, the user can see where each

of the detectors has been deployed, and where each alert is triggered. The data is logged for future

reference or statistical reporting, giving the user the ability to spot trends in activity. Cell Phone

Detection in this way gives the user the ‘Actionable Intelligence’ to carry out targeted searches. It will

allow you to ‘Detect, Locate, and Confiscate’ the contraband Cell Phone. Current correctional facilities

are using this method of Cell Phone Detection to monitor their facilities and give them an indication of

the extent of the problem. When the Cell Phone Detection is commenced, many facility and Security

managers are shocked by the level of transmissions from Cell Phones. In most cases the extent of the

problem is far greater than what was expected.

Some uses of this Cell Phone Detection system involve placing three Zone Protector units in a cell block,

these are all centrally networked to the Zone Manager software. Cell Phone Detection can commence

once the system is activated. Each detector will give read-outs of the Frequency detected and the

strength of the signal in decibels. Using this data a cell phone transmission map can be created by

knowing the readings of each area of the cell block, and hence give you a triangulation method of Cell

Phone Detection.