Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that amends the health needs of incarcerated women related to pregnancy, childbirth, and other purposes.

Highlights:

• Requires the Director of the Bureau of Justice Statistics include in the National Prisoner Statistics Program and Annual Survey of Jails statistics relating to the health needs of incarcertated pregnant women in the criminal justice system at the Federal, State, Tribal, and local levels (Sec. 3).

• Requires the aforementioned report include the following information, including, but not limited to (Sec. 3):

• Demographic and other information about incarcerated women who are pregnant, in labor or in postpartum recovery, including race, ethnicity, and age of the woman;

• The following provisions of pregnany care and services provided for said women: 

• Whether prenatal, delivery, and post-delivery check-up visits were scheduled or provided;

• Whether a social worker, psychologist, doula, or other support person was offered and provided during pregnancy, delivery, and post-delivery;

• Whether a pregnancy or parenting program was offered during pregnancy;

• Whether a nursery or residential program to keep mothers and infants together post-delivery was offered and provided;

• The number of days the mother stayed in the hospital post-delivery;

• The number of days the infant remained with the mother post-delivery;

• The number of days the infant remained in the hospital after the mother was discharged;

• The location of the nearest hospital with a licensed obstetrician-grnecologist in proximity to the incacerated women and the time to transport;

• The number of incarcerated women who are determined by a health care professional to have a high-risk pregnancy;

• The total number of incarcerated pregnant women and the number of incarcerated women who became pregnant while incarcerated; and

• The total number of incidents in which an incarcerated pregnant who is pregnant, in labor, or in postpartum recovery is placed in restrictive housing.

• Requires the Director of the Bureau of Prisions ensure that appropriate services and programs are provided to pregnant women in custody to address the health and safety needs of said women related to pregnancy and childbirth including, access to contraception and testing for pregnancy and sexually transmited diseases upon request (Sec. 4).

• Prohibits pregnant women from being placed in solitary confinement during their third trimester or restrictive housing at any point from the time their pregnancy is confirmed by a health care professional through 12 weeks post delivery unless the individual poses a serious and immediate risk of physical harm (Sec. 4).

• Requires the Attorney General to submit a report to Congress Committee on Judiciary of the Senate and the House of Represenatives no later than 180 days after the enactment of this bill and every 180 days thereafter for a period of 10 years that documents the placement of incarcerated women in restrictive housing (Sec. 4).

Full Bill Text

Full Bill Text