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West Virginia Regional Jails Ban Touching During Visits
By: Associated Press
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Concerns about drug contraband have prompted a ban on regional jail inmates touching loved ones during supervised contact visits.
A directive issued by West Virginia Regional Jail Authority executive director Joe DeLong prohibits inmates from hugging, kissing or shaking hands with loved ones at the beginning and end of contact visits.
The directive also prohibits children from sitting with inmates.
DeLong tells The Charleston Gazette that the directive is a temporary solution to stop the smuggling of drugs into the 10 regional jails. He has appointed a committee to examine the issue.
DeLong says one jail administrator reported that a visitor hid drugs inside a baby's diaper. The drugs were then passed to an inmate holding the baby.