8-Year-Old Girl Strip-Searched at Virginia Prison During Visit to See Her Dad
The incident took place at the Buckingham Correctional Center in Dillwyn, Va. (Steve Helber/ASSOCIATED PRESS)
(IBEXNews) – An 8-year-old was strip-searched last month at a prison in Dillwyn, Va., The Virginian-Pilot reported.
The girl was visiting the Buckingham Correctional Center with her father’s girlfriend Nov. 24 when she was told the search was necessary for her to see her dad, according to the newspaper.
“It’s generally regarded in the criminal justice field that you do not strip-search young children," Daniel Macallair, the head of the Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice, told The Pilot. “I mean most adults, certainly most adults who work in the field of child welfare, would know better — that this is an act of child abuse.”
The Virginia Department of Corrections acknowledged the incident and said it was a mistake and in violation of policy.
“It is deeply troubling and represents a breach in our protocol," DOC spokesperson Lisa Kinney told the Virginian-Pilot in an email. “We sincerely apologize to this child and her family and will be taking immediate disciplinary action against the person responsible.”
After the search, the 8-year-old texted her mom, telling her: “Hey Mom, am so mad the jail had to strip me with all of my clothes off,” according to the paper.