In Re French

Opinion

RHODES, J. *

Five prisoners at San Quentin State Prison brought these lawsuits after spouses or friends were indefinitely excluded from the prison following refusals by the visitors, all women, to submit to fully unclothed body searches. The searches were requested because prison authorities suspected the women of attempting to bring contraband into the prison, We hold, in accord with the ruling below, that the initial response of the prison, to prohibit the women from visiting the prison indefinitely, was not “necessary for the reasonable security of the institution” and violated Penal…