Governor Kevin Stitt announced a new executive order to address the crises of contraband cellphones in state prisons across Oklahoma.

Executive Order (EO) 2019-41 directs the Secretary of Public Safety, the Secretary of Digital Transformation and Administration and the Oklahoma Department of Corrections (DOC) to research and implement technology solutions in order to eliminate the public safety threat of contraband cellphones in Oklahoma prisons and correctional facilities.

“Contraband cellphones in our state prisons have become a serious public safety concern in Oklahoma,” said Stitt. “This is a technology issue that must be answered with a technology solution in order to efficiently and effectively improve safety for our inmates, Department of Correction employees and citizens of Oklahoma. Through EO 2019-41, we are working to address the contraband cellphone crises in order to minimize criminal activity in and out of our prisons.”

“Contraband cellphones are our number-one security threat,” Interim ODOC Director Scott Crow said. “While our staff seize thousands every year, contraband cellphones cry out for a technological solution.”

On September 14, an estimated 150 to 200 inmates in an Oklahoma prison initiated acts of violence led by inmate gang leaders and gang members, which spread to five additional Oklahoma prisons during the afternoon of September 15. The premeditated acts of violence were facilitated by communication between inmates using contraband cellphones and resulted in all prisons across the state being placed on lockdown.

The order directs the secretaries and DOC to explore all possible technology solutions, including geo-location systems, cellphone jammers, micro cellphone jammers, controlled access systems and hybrid systems, in order to abate the safety concern. The order also directs the secretaries and DOC to work with Oklahoma’s congressional delegation and federal agencies to determine what actions are being taken by the Federal government in federal correctional facilities to eliminate the contraband cellphone crises and research the liability of cellphone service companies that provide cellphone service to or for contraband cellphones and develop a plan to hold those companies accountable.