NPR

Virginia Prisons Ban Visitors From Wearing Tampons, Citing Contraband Concerns

A spokeswoman said that visitors wearing tampons will be offered pads.

Starting next month, any women who visit inmates in Virginia's prisons are banned from wearing tampons or menstrual cups.

The state's Department of Corrections says its new rule is aimed at preventing contraband from being smuggled into its prisons.

"If someone chooses to visit a Virginia Department of Corrections inmate, he or she cannot have anything hidden the . "There have been many instances in which visitors have attempted to smuggle drugs into our prisons by concealing those drugs in a body cavity, including the vagina."

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from NPR

NPR4 min read
Israel Expands Evacuation Orders In Rafah As Aid Groups Struggle To Prepare
Israel's military issued new evacuation orders in Gaza's southernmost city of Rafah, forcing even more Palestinians to relocate on Saturday ahead of a likely expanded ground operation there.
NPR2 min read
Biden Will Keep Trump's China Tariffs, And Add New Ones On Electric Vehicles
The Biden administration is finally wrapping up its review of President Donald Trump's tariffs on Chinese imports. It will keep those tariffs, and add more on things like electric vehicles.
NPR4 min read
From Pandemic To Protests, The Class Of 2024 Has Been Through A Lot
Pomp and circumstance again fall victim to circumstance for some students in the graduating class of 2024, as protests over the war in Gaza threaten to disrupt commencement ceremonies.

Related Books & Audiobooks