Bill > SB0444

This bill establishes the Officer Breann Leath Memorial Prison Nursery within the Indiana Department of Correction (DOC), designed to support incarcerated mothers and their children up to 30 months old. The bill creates an Incarcerated Women's Maternal Health Fund to financially support the nursery, which will be funded through state appropriations and private donations. The nursery will be operated with guidance from experts in maternal health, public health, pediatrics, and child development, and will have specific policies to protect mothers' parenting rights while ensuring child safety. The DOC will be required to develop rules for the nursery's operation, including guidelines for inmate placement and child care. Additionally, the bill mandates that county jails provide free menstrual hygiene products to inmates and requires the DOC to submit an annual report to the legislative council detailing the number of pregnant inmates and those placed in the nursery. The bill aims to improve maternal health care and support for incarcerated women by creating a more compassionate and supportive environment for mothers and their children during incarceration.

Justice

https://iga.in.gov/legislative/2025/bills/senate/444/details