Apparently California is having a hard time keeping contraband cell phones out of the hands of its prisoners. After finding "only" 1,400 in 2007, guards have confiscated 8,675 this year so far. Last year, one of them belonged to Charles Manson (was his ringtone "Helter Skelter"?), who made calls and sent texts to people in California, New Jersey, Florida, and British Columbia. Terry Thornton, spokeswoman for the California Department of Corrections, explains why this is troubling. "It's troubling that he had a cell phone since he's a person who got other people to murder on his behalf," Thornton says. Yep, you nailed it.

Charles Manson had a cellphone? California prisons fight inmate cellphone proliferation [LAT]