SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) – Male prison guards will be prohibited from pat-down searching incarcerated women and viewing them while they are not fully dressed under a new law signed by California Gov. Jerry Brown.
Brown announced he signed the bill Monday. It will take effect in 2019.
The bill bans male guards from entering areas like bathrooms where women are undressed. It contains exceptions for emergencies when no female guards are available.
Reality TV star Kim Kardashian West elevated the bill’s profile by tweeting her support for it in July as part of the celebrity’s recent advocacy on criminal justice issues.
Kardashian West drew headlines earlier this year for successfully lobbying President Donald Trump to commute the sentence of a woman serving a life sentence for drug offenses.
