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55 °F Forecast | Road Cams Monday, September 20, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal How To Guide Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Rogue Valley's Finest EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend September 8, 2004 Jail strip-search complaints grow By SARAH LEMON Mail Tribune More women have said they were victims of an improper strip search last year in the Jackson County Jail. A dozen women have indicated that, unless a settlement is reached, they intend to sue the county on allegations that corrections deputies inspected their naked bodies in view of male inmates. Four or five women almost immediately came forward after the Sept. 20 search, ordered to locate a contraband razor blade, said David Fidanque, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union in Oregon. More inmates sought help from the ACLU over the summer, Fidanque said. The search was conducted in part to shame the women, ACLU attorneys have said. Female guards examined the women’s genitals and buttocks with a flashlight while requiring them to bend over, said Portland attorney Keith Dubanevich. Male inmates could see the search procedures through windows while still confined to their quarters, Dubanevich said. Male guards also looked on, he said. "That was what was so humiliating and awful," said a former inmate, 36-year-old Carrie Kuykendall of Medford. "I’m pretty modest." Kuykendall said she alerted the ACLU two days after the search, made a list of all the women involved and mailed it to her own home from jail. After her release, she attempted to locate everyone on the list, seeing some at the local probation office. Others were listed in the phone book, and a few had ended up in prison, she said. Advertisement More than 20 women were targets of the Saturday night search, but not all of them wanted to work with the ACLU. Some feared corrections deputies would retaliate if they later saw the women in jail, said Kuykendall, who has several theft charges pending in court. The ACLU will argue that the search violated federal laws protecting citizens from unreasonable search and seizure and Oregon law prohibiting jailers from subjecting inmates to unnecessary rigor while incarcerated, Fidanque. Under the county’s jail policy, deputies are allowed to strip search inmates while looking for contraband. Certain areas — including between an inmate’s legs — are within the scope of a search. The policy prohibits intrusive body cavity searches, which must be conducted in a medical facility. Male guards are not allowed to pat down female inmates except under extreme circumstances. Both the county and ACLU officials have said they are negotiating a settlement in the case. The ACLU wants to make sure strip searches in view of inmates of the opposite sex never happen again, Dubanevich said. He also said he may seek compensation for the women. County officials contacted Tuesday said that policies at the jail always are subject to review. An official at the county counsel’s office declined to comment further, citing ongoing negotiations. Reach reporter Sarah Lemon at 776-4487, or e-mail [email protected] . Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities