Friday, July 27, 2007

Tennessee prison visitors face new ban on revealing lingerie

Arousing undergarments such as thong underwear and bust-enhancing "water brassieres" won't be allowed into state prisons after Aug. 1, when a newly revised set of visitation rules takes effect.

Prisoners "don't need any help getting turned on" or out of hand, said Correction Commissioner George Little of the underwear regulations.

The dress code revisions, which also prohibit steel-toed boots and tattered clothing, are part of an effort to tighten a range of visitor policies and make sure they're consistent across the state, Little said.

"Visitations are an important part of the prison experience," he said. "We want them to be as safe as possible and as uneventful as they can possibly be."

While there are no thong-detectors being installed at visitor gates, anyone caught wearing the banned lingerie during pat downs or other inspections won't be allowed in, Little said.

Water bras are undergarments lined with pouches of water to enhance bust lines.

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