Twenty women detained at San Francisco County Jail No. 2 have filed a federal civil rights class action lawsuit against the City and County of San Francisco. The complaint alleges the plaintiffs were subjected to mass strip searches, cross-gender observation, and subsequent retaliation after filing complaints.
The death of Katina White, a 30-year-old Black woman, at the Albemarle District Jail in Pasquotank County, North Carolina, on January 20, 2004, within 72 hours of her arrest, exposed significant systemic failures. These deficiencies included outdated policies, documented financial irregularities, and the absence of critical records, collectively underscoring a profound lack of operational oversight and transparency within the facility.
Community leaders, advocates, elected officials, and impacted women gathered outside the San Francisco County Jail to demand accountability for deputies who ordered women in custody to strip in front of male deputies, violating constitutional protections, state law, and basic human dignity.