Fans

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Cell phones in prisons have been a controversial issue for quite some time, but the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) is now requesting information from companies regarding equipment to detect illegal cell phone calls within the prison grounds.

Other states have been dealing with cell phone contraband, especially California, where the number of confiscated cell phones grew from 261 in 2006 to more than 10,700 in 2010. Although Illinois’ numbers are much smaller, they are still increasing.