Lawmakers in Richmond are considering a number of bills responding to the opioid crisis. It is an effort that even reaches behind bars.
Sheriffs across Virginia are worried that the opioid crisis is coming to a jail near you. That is why they are asking Delegate Patrick Hope, a Democrat from Arlington, to introduce legislation allowing strip searches of inmates. “These drugs are very serious because in fentanyl a grain the size of a grain of salt someone can overdose on, and so it’s a very serious concern of the jails,” Hope said.
Cindy Cunningham is the founder of a progressive group known as VA Plan. She says she hasn’t seen any data to show this is a problem. “A lot of people are concerned about police in general and I think at this point this is sort of encouraging civil rights violations.”
Although Hope is aiming the bill at jails, the language of the bill is so broad it would allow for strip searches of people stopped for traffic offenses, opponents say. That’s raising red flags among advocates for civil liberties.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
