JACKSON — Mississippi has joined a coalition of 22 state attorneys general urging the Federal Communications Commission to adopt a rule allowing correctional facilities to use cellphone jamming technology to combat the growing problem of contraband phones in prisons.

In a letter to the FCC, the bipartisan coalition expressed support for a proposed rule change that would permit jamming systems to block unauthorized cellular transmissions from inside prison walls — a practice currently prohibited under federal law.

“Contraband cellphones are a problem in prisons in Mississippi and all over the country,” Attorney General Lynn Fitch said in a statement. “These phones pose a real threat, allowing criminals to conduct criminal activity while sitting behind bars and coordinate violence within c

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