Reps. Foushee, Ansari, Kamlager-Dove Introduce Legislation to End the OB-GYN Care Crisis in Federal Prisons

WASHINGTON, DC (February 26, 2026) - Today, Congresswoman Valerie Foushee (NC-04), Congresswoman Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03), and Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37) introduced the Ensuring OBGYN Care in Prisons Act, which would require all Bureau of Prisons facilities with female populations to employ at least one full-time, on-site Obstetrician Gynecologist. The legislation responds to widespread evidence of inadequate and dangerous reproductive health care in correctional settings.

In November 2025, a yearlong investigation by NBC News and Bloomberg Law revealed systemic mistreatment of pregnant women before, during, and after labor. Cases included a Kentucky woman who gave birth alone on a jail floor and chewed through her umbilical cord; a Georgia woman who begged for thirteen hours to be taken to the hospital before delivering in her cell, her newborn dying days later; and a Mississippi woman who died from a ruptured ectopic pregnancy after days of reporting abdominal pain. These incidents underscore the urgent need for consistent, professional medical care for pregnant people in custody.

"Incarcerated individuals have constitutional rights to respectful, consistent, and high-quality comprehensive health care, including access to an Obstetrician Gynecologist," said Congresswoman Valerie Foushee (NC-04). "Access to health care is not a privilege-it is a fundamental human right that must be protected regardless of a person's background. The reports of pregnant women giving birth alone in cells or being denied urgent medical attention is a profound failure of oversight and accountability within our correctional system. I'm proud to join my colleagues in introducing this legislation which will strengthen oversight and ensure that no one in federal custody is denied essential reproductive health care."

"Having access to healthcare is a basic human right that extends to women's healthcare, including in the judicial system. I'm proud to co-lead the Ensuring OB-GYN Care in Prisons Act to make sure incarcerated women have access to critical screenings, prenatal and postpartum care, and the dignity every person deserves," said Representative Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03).

"Every woman deserves health and dignity, regardless of incarceration status" said Congresswoman Kamlager-Dove. "I'm proud to co-lead this legislation, which alongside my Pregnant Women in Custody Act, would ensure proper health care for incarcerated women. Health care is a human right, and as the wealthiest nation on earth, we have an obligation to provide it for all."

Additional research highlights the severity of the problem. In July 2025, the Birth in Jails Media Project at Johns Hopkins University found that two-thirds of jail births between 2013 and 2023 occurred inside jail cells, and one quarter of those births were stillborn or resulted in death within two weeks. While federal prisons and local jails differ in jurisdiction, these findings shed light on broader systemic failures in the treatment of pregnant people across the justice system.

The Prison Policy Initiative has endorsed the legislation, noting the critical need for improved access and oversight: "With increases in women's incarceration far outpacing that of men's in recent years, along with a lack of?basic data on pregnancy outcomes?in prisons and a lack of reporting around prenatal care and other services, it is more urgent than ever to ensure that pregnant people have quality?prenatal care. The?Ensuring OB-GYN Care in Prisons Act?provides that pregnant prisoners will have on-site access to medical care throughout their pregnancy, ensures better data collection, and increases overall transparency. We at Prison Policy Initiative are happy to endorse this legislation and the welcome changes it brings."

Specifically, the Ensuring OBGYN Care in Prison Act will:

The full text of the bill can be found here.