The Department of Corrections (DOC) is a public safety organization charged with the custody and care of individuals sentenced to confinement in a correctional facility. The DOC is responsible for enhancing public safety through the operation of safe and secure facilities, ensuring the health and safety of incarcerated individuals, and maintaining environments that reinforce safe and humane correctional practices. Safer operations are generated through continuous performance of sound correctional policies, practices, and procedures.
One of the greatest risks to operating safe and secure facilities is the introduction and movement of contraband. Dangerous contraband, whether it be weapons designed to cause bodily harm, tools used to aid escape attempts, or illegal drugs that disrupt normal operations and cause health and safety concerns, is an operational safety and security challenge requiring constant line level and management level attention. Contraband management is a core correctional practice and is considered a basic security routine in any humane correctional system. One of the most important contraband management practices is the searches of individuals. Searches serve a dual purpose of detection/discovery and deterrence.
Thorough, systematic searches of incarcerated individuals, visitors, and employees are conducted in nearly all correctional systems. Specifically relevant to this report, strip searches of incarcerated individuals are an important part of overall contraband management practices and serve to maintain safe, secure, and healthy correctional environments
