Senate bill aims to improve care for pregnant women and babies in federal prisons

By Adjoa Kyerematen

Published on October 20, 2022

The bipartisan legislation requires access to medical and mental health services and bans solitary confinement in the third trimester.

Legislation introduced by Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Republican Sen. Susan Collins aims to improve care in federal prisons for pregnant and postpartum women and their babies.

If passed, the Protecting the Health and Wellness of Babies and Pregnant Women in Custody Act would establish care standards for federal facilities across the country, requiring access to medical and mental health services, as well as education around parental rights and lactation.

The act would restrict when pregnant women can be placed in restrictive housing, ban the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) and U.S. Marshal Service from placing pregnant women in solitary confinement during the third trimester and require the BOP to evaluate pregnant women to determine if their pregnancy is high-risk.

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