For some incarcerated women, getting ahold of menstrual products is a nightmare
LA TimesOne of the things Alissa Moore remembers clearly from her time in prison is how the guards taunted her when she asked for a tampon. “All incarcerated people receive free basic supplies necessary for maintaining personal hygiene, including menstrual products,” said Alia Cruz, a spokesperson for the corrections department. The following year, the commission found “deputies taking it upon themselves to decide if a woman will get an additional napkin if she needs it.” Since then, inspections have generally turned up fewer problems with access to menstrual supplies — though this year commissioners reported that during an April visit one woman told them she had her period and didn’t know where she would get a pad for the next day. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department in a statement said it is “committed to providing free and easy access to sanitary napkins, panty liners, and tampons” so women in custody “can focus on their rehabilitation with dignity.” Officials also said that in most areas of the women’s jail, menstrual products are available in common areas. But “based on the challenges” that the jail’s most severely mentally ill inmates living in “high-observation housing” face, department officials said that women living in those areas have to request menstrual supplies.
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