Relates to the health, safety and human rights of incarcerated pregnant individuals, incarcerated birthing parents of children and their children

◆ The sponsor's argument

Why Julia Salazar says this is needed

Incarceration can negatively impact the health of pregnant people and their infants. Incarcerated individuals are more likely than the general population of pregnant individuals to have chronic illnesses, mental health conditions, and substance use disorders, which can increase the risk of negative pregnancy outcomes (1). Incarcerated people are also significantly less likely to receive prenatal care and medical and behavioral services for pre-existing conditions during pregnancy, with some studies showing over 45% of pregnant individuals received no prena- tal care at all (2). As a result infants born to incarcerated individ- uals have a higher likelihood of being born prematurely and small for gestational age and are at an increased risk for NICU admission (3). In addition, incarceration is associated with poorer perinatal health behaviors than the general population leading to long term negative health outcomes for both the parent and the child, which can lead to multigenerational negative physical, emotional, behavioral, and social outcomes (4,5). In contrast, according to the National Partnership for Women & Families, "interventions that included not only enhanced care in prisons and co-residence with children after birth, but also coordi- nation of community care on release, demonstrated reduced likelihood of future involvement with the justice system over the 10 years following release when compared to women in the same facilities that did not receive the intervention" (2). According to the American Journal of Public Health, "At the end of 2016, there were 111 ,616 women in prisons across the United States, a 742% increase from the 13 ,258 women in prisons in 1980. The United States has 4% of the world's female population but 30% of its female incarcer- ated population. Three quarters of incarcerated women are of childbear- ing age (between 18 and 44 years). Two thirds are mothers and the prima- ry caregivers to young children, and up to 84% have been pregnant in the past. In addition, up to 80% of incarcerated women report that they had been sexually active with men in the 3 months before their incarcera- tion, and only 21% to 28% were using a reliable method of contracep- tion." (6) Invariably, with these increasing numbers we will continue to see increasing numbers of individuals who are pregnant or parents of infants being incarcerated. A statewide system that required: early identification of pregnant individuals followed by comprehensive prena- tal care, screening and treatment of pre-existing conditions, proper nutrition and exercise, the development of a birthing plan, a humane delivery that followed medical and public health best practices, and comprehensive postnatal care including time and appropriate space for parent-child bonding would significantly improve physical and behavioral health outcomes for the parent and child. It would also significantly reduce recidivism rates for the adults thus improving public safety in communities. Yet we do not have a system of care in our carceral systems to ensure prenatal, delivery best practices, nor postnatal care to incarcerated individuals and their infants. This lack of healthcare ensures that our very carceral system is part of the problem contribut- ing to negative intergenerational health outcomes and reduced public health for our communities. All people who are in state custody should be treated humanely and with dignity that all humans deserve. We have too often witnessed instances of mistreatment, neglect and even death when the human needs of people incarcerated are disregarded by those charged with supervising and protecting them while in custody. This is even more egregious when incarcerated people who are pregnant suffer indignities and are made to suffer by deliberate decisions to deny access to healthcare that their circumstances require. We have a responsibility as a state to ensure our laws are written to protect people in state custody, including tho

This is the sponsor's own case for the bill, quoted from their memorandum. It is not Agora's description of what the bill does.