The Connecticut House approved a bill that might lead to fewer strip searches of state prisoners on Monday.
The bill has already passed in the state Senate.
The bill would require Connecticut’s Department of Correction to study the introduction of full-body scanners and make recommendations to lawmakers by the beginning of next year.
Other states like Washington use full-body scanners, similar to those at airports, to eliminate the need for the regular strip searches of prisoners, said Representative Steve Stafstrom (D-Bridgeport), co-chair of the Judiciary Committee.
“If based on the body scan there appears to be some sort of contraband, or weapons or drugs or something, that would flag for a follow up search, then a strip search may be used at that point,” Stafstrom said.
“But the first order would be to pass through the body scan as we’ve seen in other states,” Stafstrom added.
The bill is a compromise by lawmakers in response to prisoner rights advocates who’ve called for the elimination of strip searches in state prisons.
