Senator Cotton Joins Attorney General Tim Griffin, Governor Sanders, FCC Chairman Carr to Discuss Combating Contraband Cellphones in Prisons

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Caroline Tabler or Patrick McCann (202) 224-2353
September 5, 2025

Senator Cotton Joins Attorney General Tim Griffin, Governor Sanders, FCC Chairman Carr to Discuss Combating Contraband Cellphones in Prisons

Washington, DC - Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) along with Attorney General Tim Griffin today hosted Federal Communications Chairman Brendan Carr for a tour of the Varner Prison in Lincoln County, Arkansas. On the tour they heard firsthand from corrections officers about contraband cell phone use in the prison. Following the tour, Senator Cotton, Chairman Carr, and Attorney General Tim Griffin returned to Little Rock and were joined by Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders and other stakeholders for a roundtable and press conference on contraband cell phones in prisons.

After the tour, Chairman Carr also announced the FCC will soon vote on a proposal allowing prisons to jam contraband cellphones for the first time.

Click here for a video of the press conference.

"Today's tour of Varner Prison in Arkansas reaffirmed what we've long known-contraband cellphones are a real and ongoing problem in our correctional system. These phones are a security risk that allow criminals to coordinate crimes while sitting behind bars. I'm grateful to Chairman Carr, Attorney General Griffin, and Governor Sanders for their participation and their partnership on this issue. The Trump administration is committed to stopping violent crime and I applaud Chairman Carr's announcement that the FCC will soon vote on a proposal to give our prisons the ability to jam contraband cellphones for the first time. Congress should follow their lead and codify this proposal by immediately passing the Cellphone Jamming Reform Act of 2025," said Senator Cotton.

"President Trump is restoring law and order. He is putting the safety of law abiding Americans first. That is why I am pleased to announce that the FCC will vote, for the first time ever, on allowing prisons to jam contraband cellphones. For years, thousands upon thousands of contraband cellphones have been pouring into prisons, and some of the worst possible offenders have been using them to order hits, coordinate violent gang activity, and aid criminal enterprises. While the FCC has authorized a range of solutions in the past, it has stopped short of allowing jamming. It is time to empower law enforcement to put additional solutions in place-including jamming. I would like to thank the leadership of the great state of Arkansas for hosting us today and for the leadership you have shown in working to eliminate this pressing threat to public safety," said Chairman Carr.

"Public safety is government's first priority, and the evidence clearly shows that contraband cell phones pose a direct threat to Arkansans' security. President Trump is restoring order and delivering on his promises to the American people by empowering the men and women of law enforcement to do what they selflessly signed up to do - protect and serve. I am grateful for President Trump, Senator Cotton, and Chairman Carr's leadership on this issue at the federal level, as well as Attorney General Griffin's leadership here in our state. Together, we will hold criminals accountable and protect Arkansans," said Governor Sanders.

"Earlier today, Senator Tom Cotton, Chairman Brendan Carr, and I toured the Varner Unit of the Arkansas Department of Corrections to see firsthand how cellphone jamming in prisons would benefit Arkansas, and what we saw was alarming. Varner staff showed us the collection of contraband cellphones that have been confiscated. After our visit to Varner, I joined Senator Cotton, Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Chairman Carr, Lindsay Wallace, Secretary of the Arkansas Department of Corrections, and other public safety leaders for a roundtable meeting at my office to discuss the threat that contraband cellphones pose to correctional officers and the general public. Thousands of contraband cellphones have poured into prisons across the country, and inmates have been using them to plan further criminal activity, including assault, murder, and aiding criminal enterprises. I applaud Chairman Carr and the FCC for moving forward with a rule that would allow correctional facilities to use jamming solutions to combat contraband cellphones, and I appreciate the leadership of Senator Cotton and Congressman David Kustoff (R-Tennessee) on this issue. This is an obvious problem with an obvious solution, and it's time to get this done," said Attorney General Griffin.

Background:

In March, Senator Cotton and Congressman David Kustoff (Tennesee-08) introduced the Cellphone Jamming Reform Act of 2025, legislation that would prevent inmates from using contraband cellphone use in prison facilities by allowing state and federal prisons to use cellphone jamming systems.

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