Legal Definitions - shakedown search

A shakedown search refers to a comprehensive and often unannounced search of an area, property, or person, typically conducted in a controlled environment with the primary goal of discovering contraband, weapons, or other prohibited items, or to ensure safety and security. These searches are generally thorough, intrusive, and can be disruptive.

Here are some examples to illustrate this term:

• Imagine a scenario where correctional officers in a state prison decide to conduct an unscheduled, intensive search of an entire cell block. They go through every inmate's cell, meticulously inspecting personal belongings, mattresses, and even structural elements of the cell walls, looking for hidden cell phones, homemade weapons, or illegal drugs. This is a shakedown search because it is a thorough, unannounced inspection of a controlled environment aimed at uncovering prohibited items and maintaining security.

• Consider a high school where administrators receive a general tip about students bringing vaping devices onto campus. Without targeting specific individuals, they decide to conduct a surprise, systematic search of all student lockers in the senior hallway during class time. Each locker is opened and its contents examined for any prohibited items. This action constitutes a shakedown search as it's a broad, unannounced search in a controlled setting (the school) to find contraband.

• In a military barracks, after a series of thefts and a general decline in discipline, the commanding officer orders an unannounced, floor-by-floor inspection of all living quarters. Soldiers are required to be present while their personal storage units, beds, and common areas are thoroughly searched for unauthorized items, stolen property, or violations of cleanliness standards. This comprehensive and unexpected inspection is an example of a shakedown search, designed to restore order and uncover prohibited materials within a controlled military environment.