August 30, 2023 - San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department officials report that in February 2023, the Department of Justice began reviewing the jail 
manuals of 53 California counties, including San Bernardino County. In August 2020, the California Legislature passed AB 732, which provided protections for incarcerated individuals' reproductive rights. As a result, county jails were mandated to provide access to comprehensive reproductive healthcare services to incarcerated individuals.
The purpose of the review was to determine the extent to which county jails provide reproductive healthcare rights to their inmates. The review examined compliance in seven reproductive health policy areas: abortion, pregnancy testing, choice of provider, birth control, birthing, menstrual products, and breast milk feeding.
On August 24, 2023, California Attorney General Rob Bonta released the results of the review. San Bernardino County’s policy manual was found to be fully compliant with state and federal laws in all seven policy areas.
Our Detentions and Corrections Bureau is the largest bureau within the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department. Throughout the year, the Sheriff’s Department is responsible for housing, feeding, maintaining the health, and providing vocational programs for over 100,000 inmates. We recognize the significance of this responsibility and will continue to ensure that all requirements set by state and federal laws are met.
Sheriff Shannon Dicus expressed his gratitude for the recognition, stating, "Our staff working in our county jails work diligently to uphold the highest standards of care and dignity for all individuals in our custody, and we are pleased to have our efforts recognized by the Department of Justice."
The Attorney General’s press release and full report can be viewed at the following links:
https://oag.ca.gov/system/files/media/reproductive-healthcare-jails-report-082023.pdf
Source: San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department
