Bill aims to stop forced births in Arizona prisons
A new bill was introduced on Wednesday to prohibit forced pregnancy inductions for women incarcerated in Arizona prisons.
The legislation was introduced by Democratic state Rep. Athena Salman and state Sen. Eva Burch after The Arizona Republic reported last month that pregnant inmates at Perryville prison in Buckeye were being induced into labor against their will.
The bill, known as House Bill 2639, is expected to give more rights to pregnant people who are incarcerated.
“Delivering a baby is a significant medical event that should be directed first and foremost by the wishes and needs of the pregnant individual,” Burch said. “The safety and success of the birthing process depends heavily on the stability and comfort of the mother.”
If passed, the bill will ban forced induction, guarantee prenatal care and educational programming, establish quality standards for feminine hygiene products, and ban strip searches by someone of the opposite gender, according to a press release released by the Arizona House Democrats on Wednesday.
The problem of forced births was just one of many issues in Arizona’s prisons that Gov. Katie Hobbs has highlighted in her calls for reforming the prison system. Hobbs called the induction of births without consent “wrong and inhumane.” Hobbs recently signed an executive order to create the Independent Prison Oversight Commission to improve transparency and accountability of Arizona’s corrections system. The commission will monitor the accessibility and quality of mental health and medical care, according to the news release from Hobb’s office about the commission.
With a Republican-led legislature, few Democratic bills are likely to reach Hobb’s desk.
Three women incarcerated at the Perryville prison told The Republic they were forced to have their labor induced in separate incidents last year and in 2020, despite wanting to have a spontaneous birth. Medical records reviewed by The Republic showed that all three women were induced at least a week before their due date.
All three women said that the prison medical providers told them they were induced because of an Arizona Department of Corrections policy for pregnant incarcerated women. NaphCare, the state’s prison health care contractor since October 2022, denied having a policy of forced inductions. The previous health care contractor, Centurion, did not respond to questions about the women’s forced births during their contract.
A spokesperson for NaphCare said that “any decision is solely the patient’s choice.” The three women say that they were not given a choice.
The Arizona Department of Corrections did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
“Our bill will ban forced inductions in prisons once and for all,” said Salman, “In addition to solidifying more crucial protections for women in prison.”
The bill is in its early stages and is making its way through House committees.