Strip searches of inmates moving from one part of the jail to another without regard to what the inmate is in for do not violate the Fourth Amendment. Jackson v. Herrington, 2008 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 34677 (W.D. Ky. April 28, 2008):<\/p>\n
Finally, in Sutton v. Hopkins County<\/em>, this Court held that a detention center’s policy of strip-searching all transferred detainees was constitutional because it was reasonable under the circumstances. 2007 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 3150. Specifically, the Court observed:<\/p>\n
A detainee who has been incarcerated in another facility has potentially been exposed to contraband, especially if the facility has lenient procedures with respect to court appearances, contact visits, medical programs, and work programs. Additionally, just as in Richerson, detainees that are transported from one facility to another are transported through areas to which the public may have access. Therefore, these contacts outside of the jail provide opportunities for transferees, even those charged with non-violent, non-drug related offenses, to obtain contraband before they enter the\u2026[j]ail.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Sutton<\/em>, 2007 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 3150 at *15. The Court further noted that “[i]n the case of a transferred detainee, [a] detention facility is unaware of the security practices of the other facility and has absolutely no control over the transporting officer who supervised the detainee during transport.” 2007 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 3150 at *16.<\/p>\n
The Court finds no meaningful distinction between the HCDC policy at issue here and the policies upheld by the Sixth Circuit in Watsy<\/em> and by this Court in Sutton<\/em>. The objective circumstances surrounding the transfer of every inmate from one detention facility to another give HCDC officials the reasonable suspicion necessary to conduct intake strip-searches on inmates transferred into HCDC. HCDC’s legitimate security interests outweigh the privacy rights of these inmates. Thus, the Court holds that the Defendants are entitled to summary judgment on the Plaintiff’s Fourth Amendment claim.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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