We are constantly fighting the cell phone thing here. I'm willing to bet that if we tried hard enough we could find two a week at least. And the problem has become prevalent enough that they are starting to prosecute (or at least recommend for prosecution) any inmate caught with a cell phone.I'm sure you've heard some of the stories. How they set up drug deals or contract for murders or run their criminal organizations from inside the prison. Or harass their victims or threaten them if they show up for court, etc... Even plan escapes while still inside.
It's a real problem and I don't see any viable solution other than searching, searching searching...
But for once, the cell phone thing worked out well.
A group of hardened murders and rapists in a prison in South Carolina overpowered a corrections officer with prison made weapons and kept him hostage in a closet for five hours.
A couple of other inmates who wanted nothing to do with what was going down managed to call outside with contraband cell phones and alert authorities to where the officer was being held. A SWAT team was sent in and managed to free the officer quickly without him getting hurt any further.
Luckily, he got away with only a few lacerations and bruises after his ordeal.
You can read the whole story here: Saved By Contraband Cell Phones.
For once the dang things did something good instead of causing harm.
But those scumbags who took the officer hostage may have been also communicating outside with cell phones to get someone from outside to help them escape. We don't know.
At least this time it had a happy ending.
