On the recordApril 3, 2019
This amendment would ensure that our Federal prison develops tools to communicate parenting program availability and eligibility criteria to each employee of the Bureau of Prisons and each pregnant incarcerated woman so that each of these women in the custody of a Bureau of Prisons facility understands the resources available to them. Mr. Chair, we know that women are the fastest growing population in the criminal justice system. Only 5 percent of the world's female population lives in the U.S., but they account for nearly 30 percent of the world's incarcerated women. That is an injustice to not only those incarcerated but to their families, our economy, and our society as a whole. According to Prison Policy Initiative, 80 percent of the women who will go to jail this year are moms, including nearly 150,000 women who are pregnant when they are admitted, and many of these women are the primary caretaker of their family. This means that the impact of their incarceration reaches far beyond the prison system. As we incarcerate women, we are also incarcerating their families. Currently, the BOP does offer some programs to women who are moms or soon-to-be mothers. Mothers and Infants Nursing Together, otherwise known as MINT, is offered to moms who are pregnant at the time of commitment. Participating mothers can enroll in pre- and postnatal classes on childbirth, parenting, and coping skills.…
