NYC Prisoners Incriminating Themselves By Talking on Prison Phones

Some criminals don't get any smarter post-arrest.

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You would think inmates at New York City jails would realize that they're still under surveillance. Due to their negligence, they're giving prosecutors a wealth of evidence by giving up dirt on prison phone calls that are being recorded. 

Records from the Department of Corrections show that in 2012, all five of the city's district attorneys issued nearly 16,000 combined subpoenas for phone records from Rikers Island down to smaller facilities. This marked a 47 percent increase since 2010, when almost 11,000 subpoenas were given out. The evidence helped prosecutors build solid cases against suspects, as well as file extra charges.

“Most of the time, they’re using code words they don’t think the listener will understand,” a law enforcement source told the New York Post. "But when you listen long enough, you get to know their patterns and understand the code.”

It's not like prisoners aren't given fair warning, either. There are signs posted in both English and Spanish by all inmate phones that read: “Inmate telephone conversations are subject to electronic recording and/or monitoring in accordance with Departmental policy. An inmates’ use of institutional telephones constitutes consent to this recording and/or monitoring.”

There's even a warning in both languages that plays at the beginning of the call saying "This call may be recorded and monitored.” Smarten up, criminals. Then again, there's a reason they ended up getting arrested, right?

[via New York Post]

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