A cavity search is authorized only when a staff member or other official has ______ that the inmate is concealing contraband in a body cavity.

• A. reasonable suspicion
• B. Time of day
• C. Consent
• D. Probable cause

Answer: (D)

A cavity search is a highly invasive action, so it requires a strong justification. The official must have probable cause—that is, a reasonable basis to believe, based on specific facts or reliable information, that contraband is concealed in the inmate’s body cavity. This threshold is higher than what’s needed for less invasive searches because of the privacy and bodily intrusion involved. Time of day doesn’t provide justification, and while consent could permit an invasive procedure if freely given, it isn’t the standard basis used in detention settings. Probable cause is the appropriate standard here.