Utah Administrative Code
Topic - Corrections
Title R251 - Administration
Rule R251-710 - Search
Section R251-710-3 - Policy

(a) search and seizure activities shall only be carried out by lawful means.

(a) the person, personal property, and/or vehicle of visitors are subject to limited, less-invasive searches by Department personnel, such as dog sniffs, metal detectors, and viewing the inside of vehicles, including trunks and compartments, as a condition of entering and remaining on the premises of the prison;

(b) an officer may seize contraband or evidence pertinent to an ongoing investigation;

(c) more invasive searches of the person, personal property, and/or vehicle of visitors may be conducted, and contraband and evidence pertinent to an ongoing investigation seized therefrom, by Department personnel upon reasonable suspicion coupled with voluntary consent;

(d) any visitor who refuses to give consent to a search based upon reasonable suspicion may be denied entrance and required to leave the premises of the prison;

(e) the alert of a police service dog shall constitute probable cause and an involuntary search may be legally conducted;

(f) mandatory searches shall be conducted of all vehicles leaving the prison; vehicle trunks and compartments shall be searched prior to exit;

(g) any person who refuses to give consent to a search of their vehicle upon exiting prison property shall have their vehicle detained until a regularly scheduled institutional count has cleared;

(h) notice shall be posted at the entrance to the prison that persons, their property and vehicles are subject to search while on prison property;

(i) an officer may assume the driver of a vehicle is the proprietary possessor and has the authority to consent to a search of the vehicle;

(j) vendors, construction workers, Department personnel, or other visitors whose presence is necessary and important to prison operation may have contraband confiscated and returned upon exiting prison property, may be asked to leave prison property, or may be arrested;

(k) all vehicles entering through a secure perimeter gate shall undergo a thorough search for contraband; discovery of contraband may result in arrest;

(l) mandatory searches shall be made of all vehicles accessing the double fence secure perimeters of the facilities; and

(m) a visitor to the prison who has an outstanding warrant may be arrested and searched or refused entry to the prison.

(a) the person and property of members of the general public may be searched, and contraband and evidence pertinent to an ongoing investigation seized therefrom, by Department personnel pursuant to the following limitations: