Albany, NY – The New York State Senate and Assembly both passed the Tampons Aren’t Contraband Act which would prohibit New York State and local correctional facilities from denying entry or contact-visits to visitors on the basis that they’re using menstrual products or have an internal contraceptive device (known as an IUD). Before the end of this year, the bill will be sent to the Governor’s desk. 

 State Senator Julia Salazar released the following statement: 

“State prisons are forcing women who are menstruating to remove their tampons or pads if they want to visit their incarcerated loved ones. This is a humiliating and discriminatory practice that essentially forces New Yorkers either to bleed through their clothes until they’re given an opportunity to use a menstrual product again, or forego visitation altogether. By passing the Tampons Aren’t Contraband Act, we can end this disturbing pattern of treating civilian visitors in a degrading way, while still prioritizing security in prisons and jails.” 

In the past year, New York State prisons have been repeatedly turning away visitors and suspending their visitation rights for reasons like detecting tampons. Even when no real evidence of contraband was found, the individuals were barred from visitation or required to remove their menstrual product solely based on an officer’s interpretation of the body scan. In many of these cases, the individuals requested to be subject to alternative search methods to prove that they didn’t have any contraband, but security personnel refused. 

It is consistently reported that contraband is often brought in by prison staff, who are not required to pass through security protocols. During the COVID-19 pandemic, DOCCS suspended visits and heavily restricted packages and mail, yet contraband continued to be rampant.