A deal between Gov. Jerry Brown's administration and a private company to use special equipment to block the use of contraband cellphones by California's prison inmates is based on unproven technology that could undermine public safety, a new report says.
A study by the nonpartisan California Council on Science and Technology released last week raises "significant concerns" about plans to install "managed access technology" in the 33 adult prisons.
Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation officials awarded a contract in April to build and manage a system to filter electronic communications at state lockups to Global Tel*Link, which operates the pay phones that inmates can use.
The study – produced at the request of Democratic Sens. Elaine Alquist, Loni Hancock, Christine Kehoe and Alex Padilla – recommends instead having private carriers disable illicit phones and establishing airport-style screening "before investing millions in untested technology."
Corrections spokeswoman Dana Simas said that managed access technology is backed by the Federal Communications Commission.
"If it stops at least one criminal incident involving a cellphone from happening, it worked," she said.
CAMPAIGN WATCH
JobsPAC, the political action committee of the California Chamber of Commerce, has recently spent about $154,000 on independent efforts backing two Democratic candidates – Orange County Democrat Tom Daly in the 69th Assembly District, and Stockton City Councilwoman Susan Eggman in the 13th. Both face other Democrats in Democratic districts.
WORTH REPEATING
"George (Clooney) doesn't have to go through these things."
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA, joking about his gray hair and wrinkles at the Los Angeles fundraiser Clooney held for him last week, bringing in $15 million for Obama's re-election campaign
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