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| More Imprisoned Women, Less Pregnancy Care |
| By californiawatch.org |
| Published: 10/28/2010 |
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Despite record numbers of incarcerated women, many states' policies are harmful to pregnant and parenting women, according to a new report by the Rebecca Project for Human Rights and the National Women's Law Center. California received an overall B grade on the report card, placing it among the top five states. In the three categories the report examined [PDF] – prenatal care, shackling polices and family-based treatment as an alternative to incarceration – California was given a C, B and A, respectively. Only one state, Pennsylvania, received an overall A-minus. Since the introduction of mandatory sentencing to the federal drug laws in the mid-1980s, the number of women in prison nationwide has risen by 400 percent, according to background data included in the report. Statistics kept by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation show that the number of incarcerated women in California rose from 1,232 in 1979 to 10,812 in 2009. Despite giving California high marks, the report notes that its grades are based on state policies and that “simply because it is written somewhere that an incarcerated woman is entitled to receive prenatal care does not mean that every pregnant woman actually receives it.” Read More. |
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