Although Billie Jo Hawks has resided at the women's section of Kentucky's Meade County Detention Center for the past eight months, prison medical examiners concur that there's nothing feminine at all about Hawks' penis. Instead, they're all now wondering how it went unnoticed for so long.

The discovery came during a medical exam that Hawks underwent upon his transfer from Meade County to the Kentucky Correctional Institution for Women. According to Department of Corrections spokesperson Lisa Lamb, Hawks told the nurse on duty that he was a man and the nurse had no trouble verifying the claim. Lamb had no idea why nobody took note of Hawks' penis during prior exams and strip-searches.

"Clearly," said Lamb, "procedures were not followed." Meade Corrections officials are investigating the matter to determine whether any disciplinary action need be taken.

» Scott Saxon