No #child should endure this #trauma

Prison guards traumatized and humilitated this child trying to visit her father. She isn't the only one. Sign Now Dear friends, An 8-year-old girl was strip-searched at prison while trying to visit her father. Let that sink in for moment. A little girl was forced to undress in front of adults to prove she did not have any drugs on her body in order to visit her father. If she, or her father's girlfriend who'd driven her two and half hours to the facility, had refused, she would have been sent away without seeing her dad. Even though the girlfriend wasn't her legal guardian, and therefore unable to legally allow the strip search to happen, the little girl felt she had no choice. We won't tell you this little girl's name, because she's already endured exposure beyond what any little kid should have to suffer. The state of Virginia agrees. When Governor Ralph Northam and the state Department of Correction (VDOC) learned about this horrible incident, they halted all child strip searches across the state while they investigate. That's the most disturbing part of this story: in general, child strip searches are legal in the commonwealth of Virginia. It should not have taken the traumatization of an 8-year-old for the state to realize strip searching children is wrong. No prison guard should treat an innocent child like a criminal. It's not enough to temporarily pause child strip searches. Tell Governor Northam and VDOC to permanently ban strip searching children at state prisons. Thank you,   Emily V. The Care2 Petitions Team P.S. We shouldn't tolerate one more strip search of a child in Virginia. Sign the petition.