Government to Block Cellphone Signals in Prisons

The South African Department of Correctional Services (DCS) has confirmed plans to roll out signal-blocking technology across the country’s prisons - a move aimed at cutting off the lifeline of criminal syndicates allegedly run from behind bars.

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Pilot Launch Before the End of 2025

According to the department, a pilot project will begin before the end of 2025 at five correctional facilities, including the notorious Pollsmoor Prison in the Western Cape. These facilities were selected based on intelligence linking them to high levels of gang-related activity and illicit cellphone use.

Correctional Services Minister Pieter Groenewald said the decision was long overdue. “We cannot continue to allow prisons to be command centers for organised crime. Blocking illegal communications is a matter of public safety,” he stated. If successful, the pilot will be expanded nationwide, marking a major technological and security shift within the prison system.

Aims: Cut Off Crime, Boost Control

The main objective is to prevent inmates from coordinating robberies, extortion, and drug trafficking operations through smuggled cellphones - a growing concern for law enforcement.

Officials estimate that hundreds of illegal devices are confiscated every month, yet the problem persists. The new signal-blocking system is expected to eliminate the need for constant raids and allow correctional officers to focus on rehabilitation and security instead of cellphone detection.

“This is about restoring control,” said a senior DCS official. “Prisons are meant to rehabilitate offenders, not enable them to run criminal empires.”

Human Rights Groups Sound the Alarm

However, not everyone is applauding the initiative. Prisoner rights organisations have raised concerns about potential human rights and legal implications.

Critics argue that blanket signal-blocking could interfere with legitimate communications between inmates and their families, lawyers, or rehabilitation programmes, particularly those that rely on monitored digital systems.

The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) has cautioned that the department must ensure that access to legal counsel and emergency communication channels is not compromised. “Security cannot come at the expense of constitutional rights,” the SAHRC said in a statement.

Technical and Legal Challenges Ahead

Experts warn that the rollout will not be without hurdles. Signal-blocking technology must be carefully calibrated to avoid affecting nearby communities or emergency networks, a challenge that has derailed similar attempts in other countries.

Legal analysts also note that South Africa’s telecommunication laws strictly regulate signal interference, meaning the DCS will need to work closely with the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) to stay within legal bounds.

A Step Toward Safer Prisons

Despite the controversy, government sources insist the plan is both necessary and inevitable.

With crime syndicates continuing to thrive inside prison walls, the initiative represents one of the strongest measures yet to disrupt gang operations from within the correctional system.

“If this pilot succeeds,” Groenewald said, “we will close one of the biggest loopholes in our fight against organised crime. Prisons must become places of reform, not recruitment.”

As the country watches closely, the success of the pilot at Pollsmoor and other high-risk facilities may well determine the future of prison security (and the delicate balance between safety and human rights) in South Africa’s correctional landscape.