Visitors at the Nottoway Correctional Center in Burkeville, Virginia, will be banned from wearing tampons and menstrual cups starting October 6.The ban was launched overconcerns the items can be used to hide contraband.There's been a public outcry in response to the ban.Virginia's Department of Correction is banning visitors to one of its prisons from wearing tampons and menstrual cups over concerns that the items can be used to hide contraband.The ban goes into effect on October 6, according to a letter sent to offenders and visitors at the Nottoway Correctional Center inBurkeville, Virginia.Warden David Call sent the notice on September 20 and the letter was later posted to Twitter by the Prison Reform Movement.The letter said: "As a result of recent inquiries in regards to feminine hygiene products being an ideal way to conceal contraband, effective October 6, 2018, the use of tampons or menstrual cup are no longer to be worn during visitation. The use of tampon and or menstrual cup hygiene items during visitation are prohibited."Offender visitors who have been recognized by the body scanner machine having a foreign object that could possibly be a tampon and has failed to remove such item prior to being screened, will have their visitation terminated for the day and will have their visitation privileges reviewed."Each case terminated will be subjected to further restrictions being imposed based on the circumstances surrounding the termination."Many have taken issue with the ban.I don't see a problem with this if they restrict officers and prison staff from wearing tampons/caps too since, according to you, 80% of the contraband comes from them. Shoving it up your vagina is a very clever way to bring in contraband.' ' Delilah ' (@EarthBugC137) September 24, 2018Prisons are often far -- my brother was at least a 5 hour drive into PA -- so you go all that way, on what may be a rare opportunity to visit, and you have your visit cut short before it begins bc you didn't know or think about a tampon' Smh.' Connie 'Whimsical Nerd Casual (@ConStar24) September 23, 2018So Virginia is telling prison visitors (basically women) they CAN NOT wear tampons or menstrual cups because it's an 'ideal way' to conceal contraband. WTH kind of Handmaid's Tale rule is this'!' RAISA CRESPO (@DistrictsnRose) September 23, 2018The move comes months after Virginia legislators passed a bill providing inmates with free pads and tampons.Virginia Department of Corrections Lisa Kinney confirmed to INSIDER that the ban was in place in Virginia prison facilities.She said there have been many instances in which "visitors have attempted to smuggle drugs into our prisons by concealing those drugs in a body cavity, including the vagina."The Department of Corrections and the Attorney General's office decided to offer pads to women wearing tampons while visiting prisons to the tampons "don't appear as possible contraband on a body scan."Kinney said: "When potential contraband is seen on a body scan, visitors are offered the choice of a strip search or leaving the facility without visiting with an inmate. This policy aims to help visitors avoid that altogether."Offenders in Virginia have died of drug overdoses while inside our prisons. It's our job to keep the offenders and staff as safe as we can. We know that people who have loved ones in Virginia prisons don't want visitors to be able to smuggle in lethal drugs, putting their loved ones' lives in danger."Head to INSIDER for more.Join the conversation about this storyNOW WATCH: The Samsung Galaxy Note 9 is a $1,000 phone that's actually worth it
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