The California Legislature is voting on hundreds of bills during its final week of session to send to Gov. Newsom’s desk. The governor then has until Sept. 30 to sign the proposals, veto them or let them become law without his signature.
California lawmakers sent Newsom a bill Tuesday that would drastically cut the number of empty state prison beds by 2030. The legislation, touted as a cost-saving measure, aims to push the state into closing more prisons.
There are roughly 15,000 prison beds sitting empty across the state, and they cost millions annually to maintain, supporters of the bills said. The proposal would gradually reduce that number to 2,500 empty beds in the next six years, potentially making way for the state to close five state prisons in the future.
California’s prison population has rapidly declined in the last decade after federal court intervention and the COVID-19 pandemic. Opponents of the proposal, including law enforcement, say it would force people into tighter quarters and take away space for rehabilitation programs inside state facilities.
If the Assembly signs off on the final version of the bill, it will be sent to Newsom.
The state Senate approved bills expanding protections for pregnant women who are incarcerated.
One would ban pregnant women and women up to 12 weeks postpartum from being placed in solitary confinement, except if “there is a credible and imminent threat to the safety or security” of the woman. It would also require pregnant women to receive clean bottled water and meals daily that meet nutrition guidelines under the state’s Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children.
Another bill would require pregnant women to be referred to a social worker within a week of entering prison to talk about options for parenting classes. Mothers who just gave birth would be required to stay at a medical facility for as long as the medical provider says is necessary. Each mother would be given bonding time with her infant at the medical facility, and she would be allowed to pump and to have her breast milk stored after returning to prison so it can be provided to the newborn.
The proposals need final approval in the Assembly before heading to Newsom’s desk.
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