HB 3654 – requires Texas jails establish basic standards and report on pregnant people

HB 3654 – requires Texas jails establish basic standards and report on pregnant people through the Texas Commission on Jail Standards. In 2009, there were are 247 jails in Texas housing roughly 13,000 women, inspected by the Texas Commission on Jail Standards, and funded by taxpayer dollars. The Justice Department estimated about 5% of female prisoners are pregnant while incarcerated, giving Texas an estimated 650 incarcerated pregnant people in county jails at any one time. This bill was the first to require reporting that allows Texas jails and policymakers to tailor policy to address the health of incarcerated pregnant people and their children.