AB 2527: Incarceration: pregnant persons.

Existing law requires an incarcerated person in a state prison or county jail who is identified as possibly pregnant or capable of becoming pregnant during an intake health examination or at any time during incarceration to be offered a pregnancy test upon intake or request. Existing law requires an incarcerated person who is confirmed to be pregnant to be scheduled for pregnancy examination with a physician, nurse practitioner, certified nurse-midwife, or physician assistant within 7 days. Existing law requires incarcerated pregnant persons to be provided with access to, among other things, prenatal vitamins. Existing law prohibits incarcerated pregnant persons from being tased, pepper sprayed, or exposed to other chemical weapons.

This bill would additionally require incarcerated pregnant persons in the state prison to be provided with free and clean bottled water and daily high-quality and high caloric nutritional meals, as specified. The bill would also prohibit incarcerated pregnant persons in the state prison from being placed in solitary confinement or restrictive housing units during their pregnancy, if known to be pregnant, or for 12 weeks postpartum, as specified.

Existing law, for a pregnant person incarcerated in the state prison, requires that person to be provided access to community-based programs serving pregnant, birthing, or lactating incarcerated persons, and authorizes that person to elect to have a support person present during labor, childbirth, and during postpartum recovery while hospitalized. Existing law requires, if that persons request for access to community-based programs or a support person is denied, the reason for the denial to be provided in writing to the incarcerated person within 15 working days of receipt of the request.

This bill would require the reasons for that denial to be provided in writing to the incarcerated person within 5 working days of receipt of the request.