The Chamber of Deputies approved during the Wednesday, 18 January 2017 session a first reading on the bill that would ban the use of cell phones and establish the blocking of microwave transmissions to and from the nation’s penitentiaries. The legislation was written by deputy Juan Julio Campos (PLD-La Altagracia) and proposes to regulate phone calls to prison inmates. The proposal calls for setting up phone booths where the prison authorities can control who makes the calls and to whom.
Campos (PLD-La Altagracia) said that the lack of controls has enabled prisoners to plan other crimes while serving their sentences.
He said a similar bill had expired during the previous session and thus is well known by the legislators. He expects the bill’s second reading to pass the lower chamber.
19 January 2017
