Political Quotes

“Mr. Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chair, I thank Representatives Bass and Fitzpatrick and Chairman Nadler for their work on this bill, which will provide critical support to women. My amendment has two components to help ensure our work reaches women in every corner of society. The first requires an annual report on the status of women in Federal incarceration. According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, women account for approximately 7 percent of the Federal inmate population. As of March 28, the U.S. had 180,181 Federal inmates. This means that the number of female prisoners in America is about 12,613. Women in prison face unique challenges. For example, they are more likely to have their children taken away from them while they are incarcerated, more likely to have trouble accessing basic hygiene products, and more likely to suffer from mental health problems. A report done by the Center for American Progress found that 75 percent of incarcerated women suffer from substance abuse problems, while 68 percent experienced physical or sexual abuse at some point in their lives. This commonsense amendment would compile more comprehensive, badly needed data to help us better understand the needs of incarcerated women and help us deliver the services they need.…”