Implementation of Laws Regarding Treatment of Pregnant Women in Texas County Jails: A Review of the Shackling Ban and Pregnant Inmate Care Standards

This report assesses the implementation of two laws passed during the 81st Texas legislature related to the care and treatment of pregnant inmates in Texas county jails. HB 3653 banned the use of restraints on pregnant inmates during childbirth, and HB 3654 required Texas county jails to write and implement procedures for the care of pregnant inmates. Both laws went into effect on September 1, 2009.

The ACLU of Texas and the Texas Jail Project (TJP) monitored the implementation of these laws in the six largest county jails in Texas: Dallas, Travis, Tarrant, Harris, El Paso, and Bexar. The ACLU of Texas and TJP visited facilities, interviewed medical and correctional staff, and collected policies, procedures, and inmate grievances to assess how the laws affected the treatment of pregnant inmates in these counties.