Prison bans visitors from wearing tampons over 'contraband' concerns

The Nottoway Correctional Center reportedly has banned visitors from wearing tampons over security concerns. (Virginia.gov)

RICHMOND, Va. – The warden of a Virginia prison has announced a new policy banning women visiting inmates from wearing tampons or menstrual cups.

The warden at the Nottoway Correctional told visitors and inmates in a Sept. 20 letter that the policy stems from concerns that the feminine hygiene products could be "an ideal way to conceal contraband."

It could not immediately be determined if the policy applies to all prisons in Virginia. A spokeswoman for the state Department of Corrections did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

A woman who answered the phone in Warden David Call's office referred a reporter's request for comment to the corrections department.

Last year, the nation's largest private prison operator settled a lawsuit by Tennessee women ordered to remove tampons to prove they weren't hiding contraband.