Senators approved SB26, which has made it a misdemeanor for any prison employee or visitor to smuggle a cellphone into prison.
Currently, it is not illegal to have a cellphone inside a state prison, but inmates caught with phones can lose good behavior credits, potentially extending their sentences.
The number of confiscated cellphones across the state has been on the rise. In 2006, prison officials confiscated 261 cell phones. Last year, 10,761 phones were confiscated.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
