California state prisons must tone down their strip searches of visitors after one crosses the line from search to sexual battery, leading to a lawsuit that cost the Calif. Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation $3.6 million.
The lawsuit alleged that while attempting to visit her husband, Christina Cardenas was subject to two strip searches, one by prison officials and another by a male doctor who sexually violated her.
Prison officials justified the strip searches based on a warrant that required an X-ray to detect potential contraband inside Cardenas. However, according to the suit, both X-ray and CT scans yielded no such evidence, and the search was still conducted.
The total settlement of $5.6 million will be split among the defendants, which include the department, two correctional officers, the doctor, and the Adventist Health Tehachapi Valley Hospital.
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"I pray that this landmark settlement serves as a resounding message to all correctional officers that harmful behavior will not be tolerated," said Cardenas.
Along with the monetary compensation, the settlement mandates that the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation implement stricter guidelines for strip searches, ensuring visitors' rights are protected. These guidelines include:
- Visitors must understand the search warrant.
- Visitors must receive a copy of the warrant.
- All parties involved must understand the scope of the warrant.
- The scope of the warrant must not be exceeded.
According to Cardenas' attorney, Gloria Allred, her client's experience is not unique, and she hopes this case will help safeguard the rights of those who visit incarcerated loved ones.
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