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Australia's Prisons: Advocates Demand Ban on Degrading Strip-Searches

3/3/2026

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Summary

Story summary

A report by the Human Rights Law Centre finds strip-searches in Australian prisons are routine and often traumatic, especially for women and First Nations inmates.
Survivors of abuse, including Sara and Stacey, describe the searches as degrading and re-traumatizing.
The report shows most searches yield no contraband.
Advocates call for a ban on strip-searches and propose alternatives like body scanning technology.

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Story summary

A report by the Human Rights Law Centre finds strip-searches in Australian prisons are routine and often traumatic, especially for women and First Nations inmates.
Survivors of abuse, including Sara and Stacey, describe the searches as degrading and re-traumatizing.
The report shows most searches yield no contraband.
Advocates call for a ban on strip-searches and propose alternatives like body scanning technology.