BISHOPVILLE, S.C. (AP) – The South Carolina Department of Corrections says several inmates were able to livestream on Facebook using contraband cellphones inside their maximum security prison.
The agency tweeted Tuesday that the phones were confiscated, the inmates face unspecified charges and the agency is investigating how they got around a system that manages telecommunications inside the Lee Correctional Institution.
The State reports the prison began using the system after a deadly 2018 riot. It’s supposed to stop unapproved phones from connecting to the internet, placing calls and sending texts.
The agency tweeted that “This is one more reason we need to pass legislation to jam cell phone signals.” Jamming technology is currently banned under federal law.