The county Board of Supervisors approved a pair of motions Tuesday aimed at improving access to hygiene kits and menstrual products for people in county jails.
One of the motions calls on the sheriff’s department to prepare a report on the costs involved in maintaining adequate supplies of hygiene kits to provide them to jail inmates. According to Supervisor Janice Hahn, who introduced both motions, there have long been complains about incarcerated people being forced to purchase hygiene products such as shampoo and deodorant because basic hygiene kits are not always available.
“No one should have to pay for basic hygiene while in our custody,” Hahn said in a statement. “If someone is in the care of Los Angeles County, we have a responsibility to meet their most basic needs. This is about health and dignity.”
Hahn suggested in the motion that funding to purchase hygiene kits come, at least in part, through state money provided to law enforcement agencies annually through the 2011 California Public Safety Realignment Act.
The second motion approved by the board directs the sheriff’s department to ensure menstrual products are consistently available in the jails and directly distributed to inmates. It also calls for staff to be re-trained on proper search procedures, particularly for people using menstrual cups.
According to Hahn’s motion, a recent Office of Inspector General report found there was inconsistent access to menstrual products in the Century Regional Detention Facility women’s jail in Lynwood.
“Access to menstrual products is not optional — it is a basic necessity,” Hahn said. “No one should be put in a position where they are denied menstrual products or subjected to invasive, undignified searches. We must ensure that our jail system respects the dignity of every person.”