Chair Brooks-Powers asks BOC about complaints from pregnant and postpartum people
Brooks-Powers asks whether BOC has received complaints from pregnant or postpartum people. Cintron Hernandez says yes, including concerns about beds, healthy food, and access to medical and mental health care; Augustin describes women housed in general population during chemical agent incidents.
Has the board ever received complaints from pregnant or postpartum people in care at the Department of Correction?
Yes, we have a complaint line where people in custody can call with any issues, and we also have monitors in the facilities talking to all persons in custody, including people who are pregnant.
We have received concerns recently.
We went out, Director Augustine went out to speak to some of the people who are currently pregnant in custody, and they reported concerns about beds.
About food, access to healthy food, routine access to medical and mental health care.
And if there's anything else I'm missing, I can pass it over to Director, obviously.
Good morning, good morning, Chair Brooks-Powers and Chair Farias.
Yes, in speaking with a couple of the women, they did express concerns with being housed in general population.
Two of those women, one while showering, the other while in her cell, were present during an incident and a chemical agent was used.
And one of those women who was in that unit, was in the shower, also suffered from asthma.
And so she expressed her concern with being in a general population house where
the care and concern from the other women that she's housed with is concerning to her, where they're not generally concerned about the health of her child, but more so what's happening in the unit.