Tampa Republic

Today, Congresswoman Laurel Lee (R-FL) introduced new legislation aimed at increasing penalties for smuggling contraband cellphones into federal prisons. The proposed Lieutenant Osvaldo Albarati Stopping Prison Contraband Act seeks to elevate the penalty from a misdemeanor to a felony.

The bill is named in honor of Lieutenant Osvaldo Albarati, a Bureau of Prisons correctional officer who was murdered in 2013 by five men after his shift. His murder was reportedly facilitated using a contraband cellphone.

Rep. Laurel Lee emphasized the dangers posed by these devices, stating, “Contraband cell phones are often used to facilitate illegal activity and pose a serious risk to correctional officers, other inmates, and civilians. This bill will increase the penalty for smuggling cellphones into prisons and will provide oversight of the Department of Justice (DOJ) to ensure our prison systems and their policies are being upheld.”

Currently, smuggling a cellphone to an inmate carries a penalty of up to one year in prison. In addition to increasing penalties, the bill mandates that the DOJ review its policies concerning prisoners found with contraband and instructs the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to update those policies as necessary.