WPRO Newsroom and the Associated Press
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) – State lawmakers are debating whether to limit strip searches and body-cavity searches of Rhode Island prison inmates.
A bill under consideration would require prison guards to have "reasonable suspicion" to strip-search an inmate, instead of just speculation or a hunch. An officer also would need to get a supervisor's written approval to conduct a strip search.
The legislation also would require prison officials to obtain a search warrant for body cavity searches, which would be performed by doctors.
Prison officials say they already comply with the bill's rules on body-cavity searches, but they say the strip search rules would be too burdensome.
