Chair Farías asks BOC for recommendations to better support pregnant people

Are there any recommendations for better supporting

pregnant and postpartum people in custody that you folks have or have been in front of and trying to navigate?

Yes, the main one is the opening of the dormitory to house all pregnant people in custody.

We are also advocating for the nursery application process to be reviewed.

It does have outdated language, and we understand that it has to go through the necessary checks.

Checking criminal history, checking ACS history, but anything that can be done to expedite that process and to give resources to the people who are filling them out.

We don't want people to be intimidated by the process of it, having to fill out so much paperwork.

So having someone assist them would be very beneficial.

And is this a paper application or is this digital?

Paper.

Paper.

And if I may add, the process is, as our ED shared, is not, it takes some time.

In conversation with one of the women who did apply, I want to say she came into custody in July, and the application was finally approved last week.

And so it does take time, even though, yes, it is voluntary, but there is a process.

And there are other players within the process in order for it to get to that approval point.