PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A bill aimed at changing how women and expectant mothers are treated while in jail or prison passed the Pennsylvania House unanimously.
“It’s time for us to join states like Florida, Arizona and Texas who have changed laws and policies to better reflect the needs of women who are in our correctional facilities,” said Morgan Cephas, Philadelphia Democrat and prime sponsor of the Dignity for Incarcerated Women Act.
She said prisons were not built with women in mind, but women are the fastest-growing segment of prison populations.
“Studies have also shown that 80% of incarcerated women have also suffered physical or sexual abuse and face particularly daunting obstacles when they return to society,” Cephas said.
The bill would offer alternatives to the solitary confinement of pregnant women; provide additional staff training on dealing with pregnant and postpartum women; ban body searches of women by male guards; allow for 72 hours of bonding time with a newborn if a woman gives birth while in prison, when appropriate; and require any instances of shackling pregnant women be reported to the Department of Human Services.
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Mike Jones, co-prime sponsor and York County Republican, said this isn’t a soft-on-crime bill. He calls it “smart business.”
“Ninety-five percent of those who are incarcerated will get out, and we want to do everything we can to minimize that revolving door,” Jones said.
“This doesn’t change the sentence. It’s not easy on crime or anything like that. But these are still our mothers, our sisters, our daughters, and they deserve to be treated with dignity.”
The bill is on its way to the state Senate. A similar bill passed the House last year, but the session ended before the Senate could take action.
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