Advocacy & Reform Strategies
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- Category: Advocacy & Reform Strategies
Why Mobile Phone Possession Should Be Reclassified as a Moderate Severity Offense
The Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) currently categorizes inmate possession of mobile phones as a "Greatest Severity" offense under Incident Code 108, placing it alongside truly dangerous contraband like weapons and escape tools. This classification comes with severe penalties, including a 10-year mark on an inmate’s record, restrictions on rehabilitative programs, and potentially prolonged incarceration. However, as technology evolves and prison policies around the world adapt to new realities, it’s clear that the BOP’s rigid stance on mobile phones is outdated, counterproductive, and in urgent need of revision. Rather than treating phone possession as a major security breach, BOP should adopt a more nuanced approach, reclassifying it as a "Moderate Severity" offense—akin to circumvention of monitoring policies—so that penalties are proportionate to the actual risks involved.