Senate committee advances bill to tighten strip-search rules, ban cameras in juvenile showers

Senate Bill 322, which would raise the legal standard for strip searches in juvenile detention from "reasonable suspicion" to "probable cause" and restrict camera use in showers and bathrooms, won a due-pass recommendation from the Senate Health and Public Affairs Committee after public testimony and expert witnesses Wednesday.

The measure was introduced in committee by Senator Celia Lopez, who said the bill grew out of a tour of the Bernalillo County Youth Services Center and follow-up concerns about the frequency of strip searches and the presence of cameras in shower areas. "I call it a machine," Lopez said of a malfunctioning screening device at the center; she described seeing cameras in bathrooms during the tour and asked who views and stores those recordings.

The bill's sponsor and expert witnesses told the committee the legislation aims to add procedural safeguards and accountability: requiring documentation and supervisory approval for intrusive searches, prioritizing less intrusive alternatives, and banning recording devices in shower areas. Jerry Bachicha, who described herself as a former PREA coordinator and juvenile detention auditor, told the committee the bill would align juvenile search standards with Fourth Amendment protections and reduce trauma for justice-involved youth. "By requiring probable cause, this bill ensures that strip searches occur only when there is substantial factual basis to believe a youth possesses contraband or poses a legitimate security threat," Bachicha said.

Advocates from community groups including La Placita Institute and the Southwest Organizing Project described strip-searches and shower video practices as degrading and harmful. Rodrigo Rodriguez of La Placita said Bernalillo County appears to be an outlier nationally: "No one I have ever talked to has ever heard of children being videotaped in the showers as a best practice," he said, adding that the practice creates the appearance of grooming and exploitation.

Committee members questioned how the probable cause standard would be applied in the detention setting. Committee testimony clarified that the bill would not require a judicial warrant; instead, authorization would come from a detention superintendent or the superintendent's designate. Witnesses also discussed the role of technology: Bernalillo County had used a wand or scanning device as an alternative to strip searches, but the device was reported out of service for periods and the centers at other parts of the state lack consistent access to detection technology.

Witnesses provided data on the frequency and outcomes of strip searches. Committee testimony cited roughly 700 strip searches at the Bernalillo County Youth Services Center from June through October 2024, with monthly reports showing 190 searches in July (0 contraband found), 169 in August (three items: two pens and a pencil), 108 in September (one note), and 122 in October (one pen). Committee witnesses said most items discovered could be found through pat searches or other less-intrusive methods.

During committee debate Senator Scott pressed whether the bill would require a warrant; witnesses replied it would not. Senator Block questioned the authority of county officials to remove cameras and asked about certification consequences if a facility lost certification. Bachicha described a certification and corrective-action process that can include timelines and relocation of detainees if a facility declines to remediate identified deficiencies.

After public and committee discussion, the committee recorded a voice roll call and reported the bill out with a favorable recommendation (10 yes, 0 no). Committee members and advocates said the bill is intended to preserve safety while reducing arbitrary and traumatic practices and adding documentation and administrative review.

The bill now proceeds to the next committee listed on the Senate calendar.