Rep. Laurel Lee Introduces Bill to Crack Down on Prison Phone Smuggling

Washington, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Laurel Lee (FL-15) introduced the Lieutenant Osvaldo Albarati Stopping Prison Contraband Act to combat the growing threat posed by illegal cell phones in federal prisons. The bill would make it a felony to smuggle a cell phone into a correctional facility, strengthen deterrence against future smuggling, and require a comprehensive review of the Department of Justice’s current contraband enforcement policies.

The current penalty for smuggling a phone into a prison is up to a year. 

“Cell phones smuggled into prisons are being used to orchestrate criminal operations that endanger correctional officers, inmates, and the public. This legislation strengthens the consequences for those who bring these devices behind bars and ensures the Department of Justice has the tools and direction needed to review and improve prison policies that address contraband,” said Rep. Laurel Lee. “I am proud to introduce this legislation to protect the safety of our correctional officers, inmates, and communities by cracking down on the illegal use of cell phones in prisons.”

Read the bill text here.

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