I
106TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 3920
To improve the conditions for women inmates in jails and correctional
facilities.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MARCH 14, 2000
Ms. WATERS (for herself, Mrs. CHRISTENSEN, Mr. MEEKS of New York, Ms.
JACKSON-LEE of Texas, Mr. CAPUANO, Mrs. MALONEY of New York,
Mrs. JONES of Ohio, Mrs. MEEK of Florida, Mr. HILLIARD, Ms.
LOFGREN, Mr. OWENS, Ms. NORTON, Ms. KILPATRICK, Ms. CARSON, Mr.
PASTOR, Mr. LEWIS of Georgia, Ms. DELAURO, Mrs. MORELLA, Mrs.
NAPOLITANO, Mr. JACKSON of Illinois, Mr. CUMMINGS, Mr. CONYERS,
and Mr. PAYNE) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on the Judiciary
A BILL
To improve the conditions for women inmates in jails and
correctional facilities.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Protection of Women
in Prisons Act of 1999’’.
SEC. 2. PROTECTION OF WOMEN INMATES.
Section 20105(b)(1) of the Violent Crime Control and
Law Enforcement Act of 1994 (42 U.S.C. 13705(b)(1))
is amended—
(1) in subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘and’’
after the semicolon;
(2) in subparagraph (B), by striking the period
at the end and inserting a semicolon; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
‘‘(C) provide assurances, with accom-
panying documentation, to the Attorney Gen-
eral that the State has in effect policies that
are monitored and enforced, in jails and correc-
tional facilities throughout the State, that—
‘‘(i) restrict the role of male employ-
ees with women inmates;
‘‘(ii) prohibit male employees from su-
pervising women inmates during showering
and undressing;
‘‘(iii) prohibit male employees from
conducting body searches, ‘thorough’ pat
searches, and frisks on women inmates ex-
cept in the case of an emergency or in the
presence of a female employee;
‘‘(iv) address the health needs of
women inmates;
‘‘(v) prohibit the use of shackles or
other restraints on pregnant women unless
it is shown to be absolutely necessary;
‘‘(vi) provide additional protections to
women inmates who report violations of
this subparagraph to insulate them from
retaliatory acts;
‘‘(vii) 
impose 
disciplinary 
action
against a jail or correctional facility em-
ployee who violates the provisions of this
subparagraph; and
‘‘(viii) require that a male employee
who is found to have committed physical or
sexual misconduct against a woman inmate
is terminated;
‘‘(D) provide documentation to the Attor-
ney General that jails and correctional facilities
throughout the State have—
‘‘(i) instituted programs designed to
address prior victimization, drug and alco-
hol abuse, and high-risk drug and sexual
behaviors of women inmates;
‘‘(ii) contracted with an outside cor-
rectional health care organization to regu-
larly assess the status of women’s health in
correctional settings;
‘‘(iii) complied with national correc-
tional health care standards for screening,
classifying, and housing that ensure con-
tinuity of care for women inmates;
‘‘(iv) implemented programs for crisis
intervention, suicide precaution, case man-
agement, and discharge planning for
women inmates; and
‘‘(v) made a concerted effort to meet
nationally established standards that en-
sure the basic level of health care services
for women offenders; and
‘‘(E) provide documentation to the Attor-
ney General that the State corrections depart-
ment has—
‘‘(i) conducted a needs assessment of
minority health needs in correctional set-
tings; and
‘‘(ii) analyzed its health services to
women inmates and classified the health
and security risk of each woman inmate.’’.
Æ