by Ari Vazquez MSW, LSPC Family Unity Policy Analyst
It is crucial for incarcerated parents to stay connected to their children for the wellbeing of the child and the parent. AB 1195 is a bill that comes from Stephanie’s Jeffcoats’ lived experience as a mother in CDCR.
When a mother is going through a dependency case, especially the mother of an infant, they have a very strict timeline to protect their parental rights. They have to engage in reunification services quickly, or they will risk having their parental rights terminated and never be able to be in contact with her child again. Part of reunification services is visitation. Visitation is crucial because it ensures that the child is able to remain in connection with their birth parent, which is crucial, especially in early developmental stages.
Legal Services for Prisoners with Children is cosponsoring AB 1195 with Families Inspiring Reentry & Reunification 4 Everyone (FIR4E), an organization led by Stephanie Jeffcoat (Stephanie is also a member of All of Us or None, Orange County). Authored by Asm. Quirk-Silva, AB 1195 would ensure that parents who are in jail facilities will be able to maintain visitation despite being incarcerated. The bill prioritizes in-person visitation, but also includes video visitation as an option.
AB 1195 will be heard by the Assembly’s Public Safety committee on April 8th. If you are interested in submitting a letter of support for AB 1195 as it moves through the legislature, or offering your support in another capacity, please reach out to Ari Vazquez at ari@prisonerswithchildren.org or
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