A while back, KYC reported that in a pilot scheme in the UK, some prisoners could be offered the opportunity to have cells installed in their cells - that's right convicts might be allowed to use cell phones in prison. Why? To allow prisoners time to communicate with their friends, family, and lawyers. More importantly: to cut down on security risks when involving numerous prisoners hanging around the communal phone.

That's how things roll in Great Britian.

It's a different story here in the U.S. In California, Gov. Jerry Brown announced Thursday that it's now illegal for prison employees and non-prison employees to smuggle in cell phones to inmates.

The reason being?

According to the governor, contraband cellphones help prisoners expand their criminal networks from behind bars. (That next gangland shooting could be on speed dial.) Right now in the California, thousands of prisoners - including infamous crazyman Charles Manson - have contraband cell phones. Charles Manson, by the way, has a swastika carved into his forehead - amongst other problems.

This man has a cell phone

Gov. Jerry Brown also ordered prison guards to crack down on illegal prison cell phone possession. So what will happen to prisoners, in prison, who get caught with a cell phone - in prison? They could lose early release credits up to 180 days. (Not much of a punishment if you're serving consecutive life sentences.) Corrections employees or visitors who try to smuggle mobile devices into state prisons could face up to six months in prison and fines of up to $5,000. How ironic, if you're a visitor who tries to smuggle a cell phone into prison - you just end up staying there.

In the past, prisoners have used social networking sites from their  mobile devices to post threatening messages to victims and their families or coordinate assaults and escapes. (I'd imagine these wouldn't get many "Likes" on Facebook.) Last year, Prison officials seized nearly 11,000 cellphones smuggled in by prison guards and corrections employees.

It would be curious to see what is the most popular cell phone to be smuggled into a prison. Would it be an iPhone or an Andriod? Which phone gets better prison coverage?

Have you ever been to prison and used a cell phone. KYC wants to know!