Female inmates in California, sterilized without approval

The Center for Investigative Reporting has discovered that almost one hundred and fifty female inmates of California prisons have been sterilized without proper approval.

The two prisons are the California Institution for Women in Corona, and the Valley State Prison for Women in Chowchilla, which has since become a men's prison.

According to the Sacramento Bee, at least one hundred and forty eight inmates have received tubal ligations between 2006 and 2010.

State laws stipulate that such procedures require approval from a health care committee.

No requests have been presented to the committee, although records show that the California Prison Health Care Receivership Corp was aware that sterilizations were being undertaken.

Doctor James Heinrich, Valley State Prison's OB-GYN, said that tubal ligations were only offered to inmates having had at least three C-sections. Interviews with former inmates contest this allegation.

Forced sterilization of prisoners has been outlawed in California since 1979.

 Flickr Photo by: Mike

STORY WRITTEN BY: Kristóbal M. Eugenio