Congress ties federal crime grants to prison restraint rules for pregnant inmates
H.R. 9817 — Justice for Incarcerated Moms Act · Filed by Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) · 43 cosponsors · Introduced Jul 21, 2026 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill restricts the use of physical restraints on pregnant people in prison and creates federal programs to improve maternal health care for incarcerated pregnant and postpartum individuals. It penalizes states that lack restraint-restriction laws by cutting their federal crime grants by 25%, establishes model maternal health programs in at least 6 federal prisons, funds state and local jail programs through grants, and requires a government study on maternal mortality among incarcerated women.
Why we flagged it
The bill's core mechanism is a conditional federal grant reduction tied to state adoption of restraint-restriction laws, paired with direct federal investment in maternal health programs for incarcerated pregnant and postpartum individuals. This is a public-health and criminal-justice reform measure.
What the text implies
- The 25% grant reduction creates financial pressure on states to adopt restraint-restriction laws, but does not mandate them—states retain choice, though at fiscal cost. This is a conditional incentive, not a mandate.
- The bill's definition of 'maternal mortality' includes deaths from suicide, overdose, and substance-use disorders 'attributed to or aggravated by' pregnancy complications, potentially broadening the scope of what counts as pregnancy-related death and affecting how states track and report these outcomes.
The full analysis lists 5 implications of this text.
Who stands to gain
Correctional facilities (federal, state, local) receiving grant funding for program implementation; Healthcare providers and maternity care professionals hired to staff new programs; Community-based organizations contracted for oversight, training, and program delivery