Great work by all! Congratulations!

Yes, a small step forward.

However, the distinction between “old”, those “already in prison” and “new” prisoners, shows it to be ONLY a very tiny step … as those already subjected to this “system” have found NO relief.

As you say, Kevin, the decision of SCOTUS suggests that “authority” still does not intend to relinquish its power to humiliate and actively seek to chill and stifle dissent … for the aim of such “practices” is not intended to be lost on anyone who does not have power or great, “white collar”, wealth.

Thank you for reporting the reality and providing the (meager) update which ought to be celebrated rather soberly methinks, Kevin.

DW

Thanks Kevin,

Still, the identity of the person or persons (if a committee) who instituted this policy should be published so that others in positions of power may be on notice. A cursory googling did not turn anything up but there must be a way. Sunlight, the best disinfectant extant.

Someone should be held accountable. They should have to publicly apologize at the very least to the women in prison and their families.

It is a “correctional facility” after all. There is no way women can be “corrected” or rehabilitated if they have to endure this regularly.

I’d like to see someone fired. Whether it would actually happen or not is irrelevant to the fact that someone should be held responsible.

This is a wonderful victory. Thank you to all who helped to make it happen. But, I want to see that entire strip search Supreme Court ruling catch as much flak and be immediately rescinded. Not years from now, after untold damage has been done, but right the hell now or as soon as is humanely possible it should be knocked down. I think a starting point would be to name/expose as many of the actual, specific people who are responsible for it as we can dig up. And, for sure, that includes Obama first and foremost.

think if my experience is anything to go by there is a huge chance men are doing this to women. I think the US is the only western country that has male guards directly involved in women prisons.

Back in the 90′s I was working on a project on the abuse of women in prison by male guards. Rape, sex for smokes, and degrading strip searches were not the rare thing. There was a really informative book/study written about it – can not remember the name. Most of the women that were being abused would not speak up about it as they were scared of the guards retaliating. Worse the guards might take privileges away from all prisoners sharing that cell block with the woman. This resulted not only in the guards retaliating but other female prisoners attacking the raped woman.

The other reason women did not come forward was that even if the case went all the way to the top, the prison warden would just dismiss it. One warden I can’t remember which state said something like “the incidents were few and to make a big deal would undermine the security and safety of the prison system…or something like that

Added to that the study found that guards after a period of time working in jails also became institutionalized and not only did they see nothing wrong about degrading strip searches it was often part of stories they shared and laughed about with other guards during breaks.

All of what you have written here is important Kevin, and brings up what role do we play. When we tried to get media attention about this, apart from a few, most said they had no interest because the public did not care what happened to people in prison.

Which brings up another point if one is sitting on a jury would you still convict and send someone to prison knowing that this is their fate. Maybe it is time we all got together and refuse to sit on any jury that is trying a criminal case where the accused if convicted will be forced into such inhumane and powerless environment.

Otherwise we are just part of the problem. Hitler would be proud. Now thanks to O and the SCOTUS they can strip you and make you bend over, even if you have not been convicted but arrested. I think flanders was arrested for not paying a $250 fine. Turned out he had but for $250 this is what they can do.

Hi kevin read me post above it may answer your question somewhat. i say it will continue it is going on in prisons all over teh country and it will not stop

Female prisoners may no longer be subjected to routine vaginal searches, but the key question should be if this will become rare or not. That correctional officials have to have “suspicion” just means the guard has to cite a reason now for searching a prisoner. It could still happen often, but one hopes that the work the ACLU and other groups in Michigan did will bring about serious change for female prisoners, women who are already being punished for whatever they did and do not deserve to be dehumanized and violated.

I agree with your every word.

I was very upset when I read Kevin’s original article on this despicable practice. I was relieved to read that the ACLU, along with the other organizations and individuals involved, were able to achieve this very small step.

A few weeks ago I joined the ACLU, sent them a check, and I intend to send them a check every month. We need them now more than ever. No more contributions to any political party – ever.

Kevin, thank you for all your work.

I like your thinking. Quit funding corrupt, authoritarian and/or feeble political parties. The ACLU does so much with whatever money they get just like Firedoglake does so much with whatever they get from members.

We the people should invest in groups, organizations or institutions that help us get closer to the society we want. Eventually, the politicians will fall in line. They’ll have no choice. They’ll be leaders without very many supporters. They’ll essentially be cult-like figures – all of them.

They’ll figure out how to be, especially when we break the chains of corporate servitude they are shackled by in the offices they hold.

I can not believe that we have reached a point where a practice so barbaric and inhumane that we can take any solace by such a small concession by those in power. This is awful and the only concession was to stop it period. Anything less is a disgrace and now thanks to O and SCOTUS they can do it to anyone who is just ARRESTED for anything.

Hitler would be proud

Florence. Yes, one could essentially read the Supreme Court decision as giving permission to correction officials to strip-search people that may not have even committed crimes or offenses.

Or, I like how Tom Goldstein of SCOTUSblog put it on “The Daily Show.” He argued the case before the Supreme Court and thought they had a good case because people don’t just “drive around hoping to get picked up so that they can smuggle something into the jail.”

In the video clip, Tom Goldstein, as a practicing lawyer before the Court, was careful to soft pedal his criticism of the institution, saying (I am paraphrasing) there was no right-wing conspiracy by the justices, and that the justices were merely expressing their conservative interpretation of the Constitution. I am certain his real feelings are far more negative.

That definitely was a “diplomatic” answer.

Maybe it is time we all got together and refuse to sit on any jury that is trying a criminal case where the accused if convicted will be forced into such inhumane and powerless environment.

or maybe teach everyone the about Jury nullification.