Karen Bass: “To date, the United States incarcerates more women than any other country in the world. However, Federal, State, and…”

“To date, the United States incarcerates more women than any other country in the world. However, Federal, State, and local facilities have not fully met the needs of pregnant women in their care. I would like to share a few stories with you. Last Congress, Pamela Winn, while she sat in the Chamber during the passage of the FIRST STEP Act, was a registered nurse who specialized in obstetrics. She knew her pregnancy was in distress after she fell while her wrists and ankles were shackled in her 20th week of pregnancy. For weeks after the fall, Ms. Winn asked for medical help, which she did not receive. She began bleeding in her cell and was brought to the hospital in shackles. While still in the hospital, Ms. Winn asked the guard what happened to her baby, and he told her that her baby was thrown in the trash. That is how Ms. Winn discovered she miscarried. No one should experience what she had to endure. Andrea Circle Bear is the first woman to die in custody as a result of COVID-19. Ms. Circle Bear entered custody while pregnant and contracted COVID-19 while in BOP's care. She later gave birth on a ventilator by caesarean and died without meeting her child. Ms. Circle Bear, the mother of five children, was a high-risk pregnancy and could have easily been released. She was in on a drug charge. Instead, she now leaves behind six children. Recently, I spoke with Nicole Bennett, who lives in Los Angeles.…”