Prisoners buy cellphones from guards or smuggle them into the prison during visits with friends and family. Some phones are discovered during shakedowns, but inmates find creative hiding places, particularly in larger, older prisons that don't have Supermax technology.

To counter a perceived security risk, South Carolina prison officials are exploring the possibility of jamming cellphone signals inside prison walls. Would you want to live within a mile of a large institution that jams cellphone transmissions?

Critics say it's impossible to contain the jamming technology to one or two buildings, and that using it runs the risk of affecting people using phones nearby.

[more ...]

Update: Via Ambinder, Republicans are "disgusted" by the expenditures.

Since September, right after John McCain nominated Sarah Palin for Vice-President, RNC expenditure reports show more than $150,000 in payments to Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Ave, and other retail establishments, apparently to clothe Gov. Palin and her family:

The Republican National Committee appears to have spent more than $150,000 to clothe and accessorize vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin and her family since her surprise pick by John McCain in late August.

[More...]

I think you may have noticed that Senator Obama's supporters have been saying some pretty nasty things about western Pennsylvania lately. And you know, I couldn't agree with them more.

I couldn't disagree with you. I couldn't agree with you more than the fact that western Pennsylvania is the most patriotic, most God loving, most, most patriotic part of America, and this is a great part of the country.

Thank you for making your position clear, Senator McCain.

Joe Biden's impulsive prediction that Barack Obama's presidency would quickly be "tested" by a foreign power gave John McCain an opening to incite fear about Obama's ability to respond to an international crisis. McCain handled this opportunity with the same skill he has displayed throughout the campaign: he blew it.

“We don’t want a president who invites testing from the world at a time when our economy is in crisis and Americans are already fighting in two wars,” McCain said Tuesday at a rally here. Then McCain veered off script to elaborate.

[more, my friends ...]

The Wall St Journal/NBC Poll released today has Sen. Barack Obama with a ten point lead over John McCain, his biggest yet. The poll results are here (pdf.

Sen. Barack Obama has opened up a double-digit lead in the presidential race, with a growing number of voters saying they're now comfortable with the Democratic nominee's values, background and ability to serve as commander in chief,

...Though most voters polled said that Sen. McCain is better prepared for the White House than the first-term senator from Illinois, there are increasing concerns about the readiness of Sen. McCain's running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.

Obama is leading among groups that earlier were expected to go for McCain. Obama now leads among Independents by 12 points. Same for suburban voters. Also, [More...]

Gov. Sarah Palin and her husband will be deposed on Friday about TrooperGate.

The depositions are being conducted by the investigator for the Alaska Personnel Board, whom Palin previously suggested is the appropriate agency to conduct the investigation. The board consists of members of the Executive branch, who serve at Palin's pleasure.

Unlike the Legislature, the Personnel Board is an agency of the state's executive branch and its officials can be fired by Palin for cause. Only the three-member board has the authority to sanction Palin.

Palin continues to distort the findings of the Legislative Board. She told CNN today: [More...]

Once again, Gov. Sarah Palin talks out of both sides of her mouth. On CNN today, Sarah Palin was interviewed by Drew Griffin. I heard a portion driving home. She told Griffin that as Vice-President, McCain's roles for her will be (1) government reform (2) energy independence -- her "forte as governor" she said and (3) special needs children.

In Colorado yesterday, Palin told 9News she opposes Amendment 51 on our ballot that would provide services to special needs children through a one cent sales tax increase on every $10 spent for the next two years.

The Pew Research Center released a new poll today. Shorter version: Voters have increasing doubts about John McCain's judgment, age and campaign conduct.

Currently, Obama enjoys his widest margin yet over McCain among registered voters, at 52% to 38%. When the sample of voters is narrowed to those most likely to vote, Obama leads by 53% to 39%.

On views of Obama:

More voters see him as “well-qualified” and “down-to-earth” than did so a month ago. Obama also is inspiring more confidence on several key issues, including Iraq and terrorism, than he did before the debates. Most important, Obama now leads McCain as the candidate best able to improve economic conditions by a wider margin (53% to 32%).

As for McCain: [More...]

Forget Joe the Plumber, here's Al the Shoe Salesman. Watch him calculate his tax cut under Obama and then go calculate your own.

As predicted last week, Colorado's Chief U.S. District Court Judge Edward Nottingham has tendered his resignation, effective October 29. The news is on the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals' website.

In response to complaints of judicial misconduct lodged in August 2007, the Tenth Circuit Judicial Council initiated misconduct proceedings against Judge Edward Nottingham. As additional allegations developed and subsequent misconduct complaints were filed, the Judicial Council expanded the initial misconduct proceedings.

The American Bar Association Magazine attempts to predict the lawyers whom Sen. Barack Obama and John McCain are likely to appoint as Attorney General, Supreme Court Justices, Solicitor General, Homeland Security Chief and more.

• Obama's Picks
• McCain's Picks

Cass Sunstein is on the list, but not as Supreme Court Justice -- he's tapped for the White House Domestic Policy Advisor. For Attorney General, the ABA names Eric Holder and Mass. Gov. Deval Patrick. For Homeland Security Director, AZ Gov. Janet Napolitano.

The ABA is right to call their article a guessing game. I don't put much stock in their selections. As for McCain's choices, there are a few laugh-out-louds: [More...]

On television and in the movies, when a police detective wants a killer to confess, he whacks the killer upside the head and the killer obliges with a written admission of guilt. In real life, coerced confessions are prohibited by the Constitution. That doesn't stop the occasional officer from using TV tactics to get what he wants.

Jon Burge is a former Chicago police lieutenant whose interrogation tactics (primarily directed toward black suspects) included beatings, electric shocks, and mock Russian roulette. The torture of suspects in which he and his colleagues engaged resulted in civil rights suits against Chicago and a federal investigation.

Burge lied to the federal investigators and he lied to lawyers who questioned him with regard to the civil rights suits, consistently denying any knowledge of, or involvement in, the abuse of suspects. Today an indictment of Burge for perjury and obstruction of justice with regard to those lies was unsealed. Burge was arrested before dawn this morning in his Florida home. [more ...]