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From 2001 to 2018, the number of people who died from a drug overdose in state prisons nationwide rose more than 600%. To address that problem, Virginia’s Department of Corrections does frequent strip searches of prisoners, but one inmate is pushing back.
Women told The Appeal that the practice of removing tampons or pads during strip-searches is degrading, dehumanizing, and sadly common.
It’s been ten years since inmates at the Fluvanna Correctional Center sued the state for failure to provide decent medical care. They claimed things were so bad that the Department of Corrections was guilty of cruel and unusual punishment. Virginia agreed to a settlement, but lawyers say the state has not fulfilled its promises in five key areas.
Politicians are demanding greater oversight over the Virginia Department of Corrections, after women at one state prison said they’re served spoiled food.
Prisons have already failed to contain Covid-19. What happens when the new variants arrive? Prisoners say they’re “scared as hell” about a continued lack of vaccines, testing, and masks. Share this story Aaron Lavinsky/Star Tribune via Getty Images The rapid spread of new variants of the coronavirus, some of which seem to be more contagious than older versions, has experts in the US calling for stricter social distancing and better masking to avoid yet another big surge of new Covid-19 cases and deaths. Health advocates and epidemiologists are particularly concerned about what will ha...