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House Passes Bass Prison Reform Bill

October 1, 2020
Press Release
WASHINGTON – Today, the House of Representatives passed the Protecting the Health and Wellness of Babies and Pregnant Women in Custody Act of 2020, introduced by Congressmember Karen Bass (D-CA), Chair of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, to provide a national standard of care to address pregnancy-related needs of incarcerated women during pregnancy, labor, delivery and postpartum periods.

Women are the fastest-growing incarcerated population in the United States and both pieces of legislation address the growing need for the humane treatment of these individuals and decreasing the chance of reoffending.

H.R. 7718, the Protecting the Health and Wellness of Babies and Pregnant Women in Custody Act of 2020, would also require the Department of Justice to collect data on women's mental and physical health in federal, state, tribal, and local corrections, focusing on pregnancy and the postpartum period. Read more here.