Senegal ends systematic strip searches for prison detainees

The Senegalese Prison Administration has announced the end of systematic strip searches for detainees upon admission to correctional facilities. Inspector Aliou Ciss, Director General of the Prison Administration, issued a directive on August 10, 2026, to humanize search practices.

Under the new regulations, detainees will no longer be required to undress completely and must be allowed to keep their underwear during searches. To protect privacy, searches must be conducted individually in designated rooms or booths. The administration emphasized that while searches remain a necessary security measure to prevent the introduction of prohibited items, the previous practice was “humiliating” and “degrading” to human dignity.

Systematic strip searches will now only be permitted in exceptional circumstances where there is a specific presumption of an offense or a proven security risk that cannot be addressed through less intrusive methods. Furthermore, all searches must be performed by officers of the same sex and conducted with tact and without brutality, aligning with international standards such as the United Nations’ “Mandela Rules.”