|
|
 |
Strategies for Change
Policy Work
In October 2000, 20 women prisoners testified at two days of moving and historic hearings held by California Sen. Richard Polanco's Joint Committee on Prison Construction & Operations. These courageous women spoke of medical and sexual abuse, the difficulties of maintaining relationships with children and the impossibility of receiving adequate medical care if a prisoner speaks no English. Led by these women, family members and former prisoners are speaking up more than ever before about conditions that make re-entry impossible. They are demanding that their loved ones be treated with respect and that their medical needs be met. LSPC is proud to have been instrumental in planning these hearings. We are continuing our work with these family members so that, together with the women inside, we can force the changes that are necessary to slow down the reliance on the punishment industry as a way to solve our society's problems.
Following the hearings, LSPC worked in coalition with other Bay Area prison rights organizations on two pieces of legislation aimed at addressing the medical crisis in women's prisons.
- SB 396 was intially introduced as a three part bill that would have eliminated the Medical Technical Assistant position, required the CDC to undergo accrediation of its medical facilities, and done away with the $5 co-payment fee prisoners must pay to access health serivces. This bill was reduced to a study of the fiscal impact of the $5 co-payment and was eventually vetoed by Governor Gray Davis.
- AB 675 would have amended Penal Code ยง 1170(e) [compassionate release of terminally ill prisoners] by providing that family members would be notified when a prisoner was eligible for compassionate release and that a terminally ill prisoner could pursue a compassionate release if s/he had a prognosis of less than one year to live rather than the present six months. This bill was also vetoed because according to Governor Davis, "this measure could result in the release of violent offenders resulting in risk to public."
|
