Maryland juvenile justice task force recommends severely curtailing strip-searches
A task force recommended Thursday that Maryland lawmakers drastically curtail when the state's juvenile justice system can strip-search young people in its custody.
The panel voted 10-9 to ban strip searches unless there is an "articulated, reasonable belief" that a youth is concealing drugs, keys or anything that could be used as a weapon. Such searches could only be authorized by a juvenile detention facility's superintendent, administrator or a designee.
The Department of Juvenile Services oversees facilities that detain youths ages 11 to 20.
