On Monday, the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that authorities may strip-search people arrested for any offense – no matter how minor – before they are admitted to jail. In Florence v. County of Burlington, Albert Florence argued that he was subjected to humiliating strip searches after he was mistakenly arrested in 2005. However, according to the court’s majority opinion written by Justice Anthony Kennedy, the need to protect the safety of prison inmates justifies the use of “thorough searches at intake for disease, gang affiliation, and contraband” by correctional officials. Anita Allen, professor of law and philosophy at University of Pennsylvania explains how the court reached its decision.
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