SEARCH SITE

VIRGINIA LAW PORTAL

SEARCHABLE DATABASES

ACROSS SESSIONS

Developed and maintained by the Division of Legislative Automated Systems.

2020 SESSION

  • | print version

HB 1648 Correctional facilities, state; treatment of prisoners known to be pregnant.

Introduced by: Kaye Kory | all patrons    ...    notes | add to my profiles | history

SUMMARY AS PASSED HOUSE:

State correctional facilities; treatment of prisoners known to be pregnant or who are parents of minor children. Provides for rules and regulations regarding the treatment, control, and education of prisoners known to be pregnant and prisoners who are primary caretakers of minor children in state correctional facilities. The bill requires the Department of Corrections to include in the training it provides for state correctional officers and juvenile correctional officers who may have contact with pregnant inmates training on the general care of pregnant women and the impact of restraints, restrictive housing or solitary confinement, and body cavity searches on such inmates. The bill requires the Director of the Department of Corrections, after accounting for safety, security, and operational factors, to place prisoners who are known primary caretakers of minor children in a facility as close as possible to such children. The bill also requires correctional officers, when (i) contact is required between such officer and an inmate, (ii) the inmate is required to disrobe, and (iii) the officer is not the same gender as the inmate, to submit a written report to the official in charge of the state or local correctional facility within 72 hours following the incident containing the justification for the suspension of the requirement that such incident occur only during the period of a declared emergency. The bill further authorizes the Director of the Department of Corrections to prescribe reasonable rules regarding visitation that include authorization of visitation by minor dependents of prisoners who are primary caretakers of minor children with Level 1 or Level 2 security classifications.

SUMMARY AS INTRODUCED:

State and local correctional facilities; treatment of prisoners known to be pregnant or who are parents of minor children. Provides for rules and regulations regarding the treatment, control, and education of prisoners known to be pregnant and prisoners who are parents of minor children in state and local correctional facilities. The bill requires the Department of Corrections to include in the training it provides for deputy sheriffs and jail officers, state correctional officers, and juvenile correctional officers who may have contact with pregnant inmates training on the general care of pregnant women and the impact of restraints, restrictive housing, and body cavity searches on such inmates. The bill requires the Director of the Department of Corrections, to the extent practicable, after accounting for security and capacity factors, to place prisoners who are parents of minor children in a facility as close as possible to such children. The bill also provides that the sheriff, jail superintendent, or other jail administrator shall prescribe rules for local or regional jails to ensure that when physical contact is required between an officer and an inmate and when the inmate is required by circumstances to disrobe, the officer shall be the same gender as the inmate and that such rules may allow for the suspension of such provisions during the period of a declared emergency. Additionally, when contact is required between a jail or correctional officer and an inmate and when the inmate is required to disrobe and the officer is not the same gender as the inmate, the bill requires the officer to submit a written report to the official in charge of the state or local correctional facility within 72 hours following the incident, containing the justification for the suspension of the requirement that such instance occur only during the period of a declared emergency. The bill further provides that the Director of the Department of Corrections is authorized to prescribe reasonable rules regarding visitation that shall include authorization of visitation by minor dependents of prisoners who are parents of minor children with Level 1 or Level 2 security classifications.