Strip Searches in Jail? Fair or not?

[Anonymous]

So a while back I remember reading news articles about some jail inmates complaining of strip searches after seeing a visitor.

Apparently in some jails, inmates where being strip searched every time after they saw a visitor... which many said was unfair and unnecessary.

They claimed some inmates are only waiting for trial and have not even been convicted of any crime... yet they still had to go through this humiliating ritual anytime they saw a visitor.

Others said they avoided even talking to their lawyer because they didn't want to be humiliated afterwards.

Of course prison officials said it was necessary for safety. They said inmates, especially male inmates, would attempt to have weapons or other items smuggled in.

So it got me thinking... Not to start a heated debate... but do you think they should be doing routine strips searches in jail or is it going too far?

Yes, the should do a strip search each time an inmate has seen a visitor.

They should strip search all Male inmates, but not Female inmates.

They should strip search all Male inmates, but only strip search Female inmates if they have reasonable suspicion.

They should only strip search an inmate if they have reasonable suspicion.

No, they should not strip search at all.

[Prettygurl12]

It is standard procedure for security reasons for all inmates in all facilities in the U. S.

Prisons and jails are meant to take away freedom. That's the entire purpose. If you are sentenced to life in prison you will never sit on a padded chair again, touch carpet, choose dinner, swim in a pool, drink alcohol, drive a car, vote, fire a weapon... they take away so many things people don't even think about. One of them is your right to privacy. This includes your own body and its cavities.

After seeing someone from the outside they must be searched for contraband. It is incredibly simple to hide contraband on one's person quickly and securely to the point where a search of that degree is warranted.

They search all visitors as well. If a mother brings her infant to visit her husband in prison, a female CO performs a strip search on the mother and makes her change her baby's diaper. Security reasons. You never know what they'll sneak in.

I'm in Criminal Justice and we've seen cataloged evidence of things people try to sneak into prisons. One mother tried to sneak her husband a switchblade by hiding it in her baby's diaper. When people from the outside are caught trying to sneak things to an inmate they are arrested and charged right then and there. That baby was sent to the foster care system. Worth it so her husband can have a switchblade? Not so sure.

They are very serious about contraband in the prison system and I'm sorry if the general public doesn't agree with how things are run. Prison is an entirely different social set up where normal rules and behaviors of normal people don't exist. It's its own entirely different environment and as such, certain measures need be taken to ensure the safety of all involved.

[Asker]

Well thank you for your response. But what about inmates that are awaiting trial and have not been convicted of anything? So these people, who may very well be found not guilty of any crime, lose the right to their own body cavities as you put it? Doesn't that go against everything our justice system stands for, that those who are innocent are not put through unnecessary hardships? You feel it is right that someone in jail awaiting trial be strip searched after talking to their lawyer when that person can be in jail can be completely innocent and only be there because someone falsely claimed something?

[Prettygurl12]

If they're awaiting trial, why should they have any visitors? That would be an argument.

The justice system is not perfect. I can tell you that. I sit through hours of lectures about it. It's not perfect. It's far from perfect. But you can't go treating one prisoner differently than another. That would create massive unrest in the inmate society and endanger the one getting the better treatment. Inmates are subjected to random pat downs on a daily basis. They're also subjected to daily room searches. The justice system right now is unfortunately a one size fits all system and with such a massive business (yes, the prison system IS a business) changes don't come easy. In a level 1 prison they may be more lenient. If there is no physical contact then they may choose not to search them. They may just do regular frisks. But in your standard level 2 and up (levels go 1-6) it is standard procedure to do strip searches. That's just the way it is.

[Asker]

That's an argument? So if you got arrested and your parents are freaking out and they want to visit you, they should be told to get lost? Why on earth should someone awaiting trial, who hasn't even been convicted of something, be told they can't have visitors? While a convicted killer is allowed to?

I'm not saying it is perfect. And I can understand searching a cell or even a quick pat down... but to have someone stripped naked, humiliated and searched when they haven't even been convicted of anything at all seems a bit ridiculous at best. That means someone driving home from the bar with a little too much to drink may end up getting their cavity searched in the same way a convicted killer does? Sorry, but unless they really have a reason to suspect something, that's a bit much.
People get arrested everyday for minor things or because someone falsely claimed something... to take away their dignity before even being convicted of something is crazy.

[Prettygurl12]

You wouldn't be in jail if you hadn't been convicted. They give you bail and you go home to your own bed to stand trial. If you're denied bail and are plunked in jail then you're considered a flight risk. You need to sit through 3 years of CJ courses to understand this all. It's EXTREMELY difficult to get the general public to understand the reasons behind what law enforcement does. This is why the public is so quick to call brutality and unreasonable search and seizure but really, they don't know what any of those terms actually mean. It's 3 AM where I am right now and I'm really sorry if I can't explain this really well. Inmates awaiting trial who have been denied bond will not be kept with the general population - some don't even leave the holding cells of the department. They don't even make it to the jail itself in a lot of cases. Ergo, no need for said searches. But really, once you're an inmate you are treated like the rest. That's just how it is.

[Prettygurl12]

You're more than welcome to run for the head of prisons in your state and change that if you wish, but until then, that's how it is.

[Asker]

Well thanks for your opinion, but that's not factual. People are in jail awaiting trial all the time. You think everyone can afford bail? There are many poor people that can't afford bail and they have no choice but to wait in jail.
And I actually did study criminal justice for 2 years before I changed majors. In fact I even toured part of our county jail... and they did in fact have inmates there who were waiting for trial.
Regardless, thanks for replying. I guess it just takes going through something to see how it feels. Maybe one day you will be arrested for something you didn't do and will spend a few nights in jail... let me know then how it feels to be victimized, to be forced nude and to have every part of your body checked. You may not think it can happen to you, but it happens to innocent people every day.

[Prettygurl12]

Until you have been educated in the laws and procedures of the criminal justice system, it's advisable that you not make assumptions.

[Asker]

Where did I make any assumptions? Anything I wrote was completely fact. Just so you know, the procedures do vary from area to area... so even if it is not true where you love, does not mean it is not true elsewhere.

[Asker]

live*

[Anonymous]

Strip searches are necessary. It's a standard thing to do. Maybe they should cut down on them, and only search some prisoners, or when they suspect something. But id that means the number of in smuggled rise, then they'll have to go back, to strip searching every time, someone had a visitor.

[Florida_Gator_Girl]

Of course they need to be searched... they can bring in weapons, drugs, cell phone... all sorts of things in their "holes"

[Red_Arrow]

A lot of jails have visitors speaking through glass so that there is no possibility of contact or contraband passing. Obviously not needed there. Where they meet without separation, the chance of passing something increases. I suppose that when the lawyer visits the chance is actually highest since they have to be afforded some privacy. But officials gotta do what they must to ensure safety and other issues (like controlling drugs).

[SilverWeb]

It's a necessary SOP otherwise, not only would they risk an illegal procurement of contrabands among inmates, they would also be potentially risking the lives of other inmates or even breakout.

Based on "suspicion" is a subjective approach and would be far more unfair since suspicion is definitely opinion-based. SOPs should be applied to everyone otherwise you would be risking favoritism of some sort.

[MsViolet]

I don't think gender maters. Both can do bad things. They should strip search both.