Lawsuit filed against Saginaw jail - Misdemeanants are Locked Up Nude

A lawsuit filed against the Saginaw County Jail is about to get even some more legal firepower. A federal judge recently ruled the jail's policy of stripping inmates is unconstitutional. Thursday we've learned the American Civil Liberties Union may join the lawsuit. Terry Camp had more. The policy of stripping unruly inmates was put in place in 1996. It was done with the safety of detainees in mind. But this could end up costing Saginaw County millions of dollars. "Being thrown in a jail cell completely naked for a misdemeanor offense is not right. It's unconstitutional," said Flint attorney Chris Pianto, who represents 22 plaintiffs in a lawsuit against Saginaw County. And a federal judge agrees with Pianto. The plaintiffs claim they were in jail on minor offenses, but were forced to strip naked, a Saginaw County Jail policy in dealing with unruly detainees. "I represent a woman who claims that while she was in the hole, she was there for three days -- completely naked -- in her menstruation cycle," Pianto said. [more]