Evansville: Revealing tops are out and bras are now a must for women visiting prisoners at the Vanderburgh County Jail. Jail officials imposed a new dress code policy after several incidents in which women visiting the jail exposed themselves to male prisoners.
The new policy, posted at the jail's front desk, states that women cannot wear halter tops, sleeveless dresses and shirts, see-through garments, revealing dresses, and shorts cut higher than two inches above the knee.
Spandex and "extremely tight fitting" jeans or pants also are frowned upon.
"Adult female visitors, as well as females who would have need of a bra, shall be required to wear a bra," the draft policy also states.
Since the draft policy was posted last month, the jail has turned away a few women, said Katie Roy, a receptionist.
Those include two women who tried to get in with low-cut shirts with spaghetti straps.
"When they came back, they had on hooded sweat shirts," Roy said. Unfortunately for those two, the jail also forbids hooded sweatshirts because they can conceal contraband.
The jail's commander, Major Dave Wedding, said some women have exposed themselves to male inmates in video visitation booths, located in plain view in the jail's main lobby.
Inmates who encourage women into acts of indecency can lose their visitation privileges for weeks, Wedding said.
Inmates are permitted up to three 30-minute visits per week.
Many female visitors bring children, and Wedding said he hopes the dress code will create a more family friendly environment.
He expects to complete a final version of the policy within a month.
Wedding said he modeled his dress code after a similar one used by the Branchville Correctional Facility outside Tell City. The prison has turned away visitors, mostly for inappropriate tops, said spokesman Richard Newton.
"We've actually had people leave and drive into Tell City and buy a shirt at Wal-Mart," Newton said.
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