This summer, Georgia women testified to the abuse of pregnant women in Georgia’s prisons and jails -including Alto’s Lee Arrendale Prison. EARLIER STORY. POSTED AUG 4: Habersham state prison referenced at congressional hearing
Now, U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff is introducing bipartisan legislation to protect pregnant women who are incarcerated.
Sens. Ossoff and John Kennedy (R-LA) introduced the bipartisan Births in Custody Reporting Act to strengthen Federal oversight of pregnancy care in prisons and jails.
The bill would require states to report statistical information regarding pregnancy care and outcomes for individuals in custody to the Attorney General, including the number of pregnant individuals in custody, their length of stay in custody, any pregnancy outcomes that occur while such individuals are in custody, and whether births took place inside the facility or at a hospital.
Under the legislation, states that fail to provide the requested data to the Attorney General would face up to a 10% reduction in Federal funding.
“The humanitarian crisis behind bars in the State of Georgia and across the United States is one of the most extreme civil rights problems happening in the country today,” Sen. Ossoff said. “As part of my sustained work to safeguard human rights, I’m introducing this bipartisan bill to better protect pregnant women in prisons and jails in Georgia and nationwide.”
(Picture: Former inmate in Georgia’s prison system testifies at August hearing. Courtesy Sen. Ossoff)