To help keep contraband from being smuggled into state correction facilities, the Tennessee Department of Corrections asked the Federal Communications Commission to lift its ban on cell phone-jamming technologies in jails and prisons.
They also partnered with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, saying they'd be cracking down on offenders.
TDOC officials said smuggling is out of control in state facilities during a joint press conference on Monday at the Riverbend Maximum Security Prison.
Law enforcement typically finds drugs, weapons or cell phones in these cases.
Recently, law enforcement searched 300 cars across Tennessee and found a number of items to be smuggled to inmates. In the past year, they've intercepted or found 2,500 cell phones in state facilities.
Corrections Commissioner Tony Parker said they're not using these phones to talk to relatives.
"Normally, it ties to gang activity in most cases. A lot of people mistake the issue of the cell phone for communication with family members and stuff like that. Most of the time you find cell phones it's tied to gang activity and illicit activity and most of the time it's drug activity," said Parker.
