Prisoners: California Healthy Start Act.

Existing law requires an incarcerated person who is confirmed to be pregnant to be provided with specified services, including referral to a social worker to discuss the options for feeding, placement, and care for the child after birth, and to oversee the placement of the newborn child. Existing law requires the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to establish and implement a community treatment program, under which a woman sentenced to state prison who has one or more children under 6 years of age, whose child is born prior to incarceration, or who is pregnant, is eligible for release with their children to a public or private facility in the community suitable to their needs. Existing law limits this program to individuals with a term of imprisonment less than 6 years, assuming maximum good time credit is granted. Existing law requires the department to deny placement in the community treatment program, except as provided, to women convicted of specified offenses, such as arson, individuals who may abscond, or individuals who may act in a manner adverse to themselves or other participants. Existing law requires the Secretary of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to consider women on a case-by-case basis for placement in the program who have been convicted of certain other offenses and women who are subject to a United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement hold. Existing law requires the department to undertake various tasks related to female offenders, including building and strengthening systems of family support and involvement during incarceration. This bill would expand the community treatment program to individuals regardless of their term of imprisonment, prior convictions, except as specified, or holds. The bill would require the secretary to consider placement on a case-by-case basis. The bill would require a social worker to discuss with a pregnant person their options for parenting classes and visiting the newborn. The bill would require the department to provide parenting classes, transportation to minor children to visit on a monthly basis, and overnight family visits, and to establish an additional family visiting day as specified, among other things.