On February 9, 2010, the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit issued a ruling [PDF] upholding the constitutionality of strip searching incoming inmates. The court found that strip searches are reasonable, considering both the nature of the US prison system and the documented evidence of illegal materials entering prisons. The Ninth Circuit ultimately ruled that such searches do not violate the Fourth Amendment of the US Constitution and were "facially reasonable." The decision overturned the 1984 Ninth Circuit decision, Giles v. Ackerman, that limited strip searches to inmates accused of violent or drug-related crimes.

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