In the minutes leading up to noon on September 11, 2018, Jared Johns, a former Army private, lay down on his bed, switched on the camera of his iPhone, and expressed his goodbyes to his family.

Approaching the conclusion of the two-minute video, Johns's eyes widened in horror as he read a message on his screen: "She is informing the police, and you will be imprisoned," the message declared.

Post-Afghanistan service, Johns took a deep breath, positioned a 9 mm handgun under his chin, and proceeded to pull the trigger.

Hundreds of former and current service members, including a 24-year-old veteran, have fallen victim to a distressing "sextortion" scheme. This tragic plot, which ultimately led to the veteran's suicide, involved deceitful individuals masquerading as underage girls on dating sites. Prosecutors claim that these scam artists aimed to extort money from men who were lured into their trap.

Nevertheless, the most startling feature of the narrative in Johns' case was that it was purportedly orchestrated by inmates at Lee Correctional Institution, a high-security prison in South Carolina located about 150 miles east of Greenville. Moreover, the inmates accomplished this using smartphones - prohibited devices that were meant to be blocked by the prison's $1.7 million "managed access system."

Prison administrators, together with select federal bodies, have suggested the purchase of a more complex and potentially more expensive technology to prevent illegal cellular and Wi-Fi communication from contraband phones in correctional facilities: a signal blocker device that is capable of blocking all calls within its operational radius.

Bryan P. Stirling, who leads the South Carolina Department of Corrections, has stated that prisoners, though physically confined, are still free digitally.

Nevertheless, some experts sound a warning about the utilization of jamming technology, which was recently tested by the federal Bureau of Prisons in a South Carolina correctional facility. They caution that such technology could potentially endanger the public by interfering with crucial 911 calls and other cellphone services nearby. In the case of rural prisons, the concern revolves around the impact on drivers using local roads and highways. Additionally, these experts assert that the effectiveness of this technology is highly questionable.

Jamming all calls, even to 911

The challenges at hand have prompted corrections officials and federal agencies to propose the adoption of cellphone jammers, a technology that has faced opposition from the communications industry. This solution seeks to put an end to all calls, irrespective of whether they are made from phones owned by staff or emergency workers.

Unlike managed access systems, which restrict calls to approved numbers, jammers have the capability to interfere with all frequencies, including data and Wi-Fi, without discrimination. This poses a significant problem for the nation's 911 phone system, as it operates on a frequency that is closely related to those used by commercial carriers.

Only federal agencies have the legal authorization to operate jammers, and solely in restricted circumstances concerning national security. Nevertheless, with the endorsement of FCC Chairman Ajit Pai-selected by President Trump in 2017- and the U.S. Department of Justice, the potential use of jammers in correctional facilities may be explored.

September saw the department and state officials releasing news about a test conducted at South Carolina's Broad River Correctional Institution. The test demonstrated that a micro-jammer could effectively block calls within a cell block, while allowing "legitimate calls" a foot outside its walls.

On the other hand, the technical report from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration offered a different perspective. It highlighted that the test solely focused on one out of the 14 jammers required to block calls in half of the cellblock. Furthermore, the report noted the detection of jamming signals at a minimum distance of 65 feet, although the actual impact on regular cell-phone service remained uncertain.

The Justice Department has published a report detailing a strategy aimed at curbing criminal behavior within correctional facilities: a successful trial of a signal jammers that effectively disrupted mobile signals from contraband phones located in a Maryland prison.

The information circulated rapidly among correctional facilities. For Brian Sterling, the director of the South Carolina Department of Prisons, this development reinforced his conviction that jamming technology represented the most economical and efficient solution to curtail the flow of mobile phones into prisons.

A cell phone jammers is a compact and affordable device that produces a constant signal to an antenna, thereby preventing any mobile phone from initiating or receiving calls. These jamming devices are typically low-cost, with numerous options available through a simple online search, priced between $119 and $650.

Correctional authorities have historically held the view that inmates devise various inventive methods to smuggle phones into correctional facilities. In South Carolina, Sterling noted that couriers would traverse wooded areas and throw backpacks filled with illegal items over the prison barriers; additionally, drones would hover over prison grounds, timing their drops of phones to coincide with the absence of guards.

It is essential that we possess all the necessary resources to engage in this struggle.

Sterling has established 50-foot nets surrounding his facility, removed trees to complicate the escape of drones post-delivery, installed advanced metal detectors, and assisted the Justice Department in several prosecutions of employees involved in the smuggling of cell phones.

Sterling conveyed to me during a phone interview, "This is a war. We require every available resource to engage in this battle."

Sterling's significant realization stemmed from the shooting incident involving one of his correctional officers. On March 5, 2010, Captain Robert Johnson was at his residence in Sumter, South Carolina, when an assailant forcibly entered and shot him six times at close range using a .38-caliber revolver. The perpetrator was identified as Robert Odell Brown, 33, who had been fatally injured in February during a confrontation among inmates at the Lee County Correctional Facility in Bishopville, South Carolina.

The assault was orchestrated by the Lee County Correctional Facility using a cell phone. Since that incident, Sterling has been actively pursuing the implementation of jammers within correctional institutions.

An additional option to jamming involves the utilization of small box antennas, which are relatively affordable, costing approximately $400, and can effectively cover an area equivalent to a city block with around 10 units. These boxes need to be interconnected; however, once the system is established, all mobile devices will automatically link to these antennas, preventing signals from exiting the confined yard. Levitan indicated that this method can obstruct calls without relying on the aggressive tactics of jamming technology, provided that the facility oversees the equipment.

The study indicates that the operating expenses associated with a controlled access system and jamming are minimal, with controlled access proving to be a more adaptable solution for blocking cell phone usage. Implementing jamming technology in correctional facilities would require a precision-based system, which incurs higher costs.