Take our course on Gender-sensitive monitoring and you will learn about the specific risks faced by women in prison and how to apply a gender-sensitive approach when undertaking monitoring visits to prisons and other places of detention.
In prison, security reasons mean that it is sometimes necessary to conduct body searches of detainees and visitors.
Body searches can be intimidating and humiliating, especially for women. That’s why there should be clear protocols to ensure body searches are conducted in a manner that respects the dignity of the person.
The APT calls for the protection of women detainees through consistent implementation of international standards regulating the use of body searches.
The Bangkok Rules
Effective measures shall be taken to ensure that women prisoners’ dignity and respect are protected during personal searches, which shall only be carried out by women staff who have been properly trained in appropriate searching methods and in accordance with established procedures.
Alternative screening methods, such as scans, shall be developed to replace strip searches and invasive body searches, in order to avoid the harmful psychological and possible physical impact of invasive body searches.
Prison staff shall demonstrate competence, professionalism and sensitivity and shall preserve respect and dignity when searching both children in prison with their mother and children visiting prisoners.
Insights from practice
Resources
Analytical piece
Find out how to ensure body searches are conducted respecting the dignity of the person.
Detention Focus Database
Learn about the international standards governing the use of body searches.
Detention Monitoring Tool
Find practical tips for monitoring the use of body searches in places of detention.