For too long, what happens behind prison walls has been hidden behind words like procedure and policy. But the truth is finally being spoken out loud.
Recently, an incarcerated man shared this reality:
“In my 20 years of incarceration, I’ve been strip-searched at least 500 times. Each was an act of humiliation and sexual violence.”
This is not an isolated experience. It is a systemic practice.
Strip searches are often justified as necessary for safety, but when they are used excessively, without clear cause, or as retaliation, they become tools of humiliation, domination, and trauma. Being repeatedly forced to expose one’s naked body under threat of punishment strips away dignity, autonomy, and humanity. Over time, it breaks the spirit and leaves lasting psychological harm.
Let us be clear:
Incarceration is the punishment. Dehumanization is not supposed to be part of the sentence.
Many incarcerated people—especially Black men and women—are subjected to these degrading practices hundreds of times over long sentences. For survivors of past sexual abuse, strip searches retraumatize. For others, they create trauma where none existed before. Either way, the damage does not end at release. Families carry it. Communities feel it. Reentry becomes harder, not easier.
This petition is about more than one case or one person. It is about demanding bodily dignity, accountability, and oversight within a system that too often operates without transparency.
We are calling for:
Limits on the frequency and justification of strip searches
Mandatory documentation and independent oversight
Trauma-informed correctional practices
Accountability when humiliation is used as control
Public safety does not require humiliation. Justice does not require cruelty.
Every signature on this petition says:
Human dignity does not end at the prison gate.
Please continue to share, speak out, and stand with us. Silence protects abuse—but collective voices force change.
In solidarity,
Rev. Jamesina E. “Jami” Greene
Founder, A Mother’s Cry
IN ADDITION:
Our Direct Call to Maryland Officials
We are calling on Maryland lawmakers, the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services (DPSCS), and the Office of the Correctional Ombudsman to take immediate action.
Specifically, we demand:
A formal review of strip-search policies across Maryland correctional facilities
Mandatory documentation and justification for every strip search conducted
Independent oversight and reporting mechanisms accessible to incarcerated people and their families
Trauma-informed training for correctional staff
Accountability measures when strip searches are used as punishment, retaliation, or humiliation
We urge:
Members of the Maryland General Assembly
DPSCS Secretary
Wardens and facility leadership
The Correctional Ombudsman
to meet with impacted families, advocacy organizations, and formerly incarcerated individuals to address this harm transparently and urgently.
Silence is not neutrality. It is permission.
Sign and share this petition to demand that Maryland uphold human dignity, bodily autonomy, and justice for those in its custody.