After years of deliberation, the federal government has given the green light to cellphone jamming in federal prisons, targeting contraband devices used by inmates to evade monitored communication systems.
“This is the first exemption granted to correctional facilities,” said Industry Minister François-Philippe Champaigne, who oversees cellphone regulations.
Blacklock's Reporter says the new measure applies to all federal penitentiaries across Canada and provincial jails in Québec.
While calling the move a “pilot project,” Champagne suggested other provinces could follow suit.
“This provides the Correctional Service and Québec an opportunity to implement and assess jammer technology, potentially paving the way for wider adoption across Canada,” he said.
Canada generally prohibits cellphone jamming, but corrections officials pushed for exceptions as smuggled phones have become one of the most common forms of contraband behind bars — trailing only narcotics and tobacco.
A 2023 Inquiry Of Ministry, tabled in the House of Commons, detailed Cabinet’s consultations with telecom companies on effective strategies to block unauthorized calls.
“To better safeguard our institutions, the Correctional Service continues to explore innovative ways to prevent and seize contraband,” the report stated. The inquiry was submitted at the request of Conservative MP Frank Caputo (Kamloops-Thompson, B.C.), a former Crown prosecutor.
Cellphone jamming in prisons is already permitted in the United States. The U.S. Federal Communications Commission granted state prisons the authority to block illicit calls in 2021.
A 2018 Correctional Service report identified contraband cellphones as a growing security threat.
Between 2018 and 2023, authorities confiscated 2,800 electronic devices, including mobile phones, from federal inmates. Under current Corrections And Conditional Release Regulations, prisoners must use monitored landlines and submit a pre-approved call list.