Storing various feminine hygiene products in a cabinet. Getty Images.
Incarcerated women will have free access to feminine hygiene products in Ohio prisons if Gov. Mike DeWine signs newly passed legislation.
Ohio House Bill 29 it passed unanimously in the House earlier this year and in the Senate in a marathon session last Wednesday.
“This legislation mandates that female prisoners must receive as many feminine hygiene products as necessary free of charge in all local, county and state correctional facilities,” Ohio Senator Susan Manchester R-Waynesfield, said during Wednesday’s Senate hearing.
Bipartisan bill – introduced by Democrat sState Rep. Latina M. Humphrey and state Rep. Marilyn John — also require prisons to allow inmates to shower once a day while menstruating.
“(This) is an important piece of legislation that ensures Ohio inmates are treated with dignity and respect while serving their sentences,” Manchester said. “Feminine hygiene products are a necessity, not a luxury.”
Former prisoners shared their experiences and needs with tampons during their testimony before the committee.
“There was a time when sanitary pads were scarce, tampons were scarce, and their distribution was controlled in a way that made women feel powerless and degraded,” said Antonette Smith, a former inmate at the Ohio Reformatory for Women. “Some of us had to choose between using toilet paper, reusing products or not using them at all.”
Erin Noll, who spent 12 years in prison, recalls begging for the products.
“When I ran out of sanitary supplies, I had to go to the officers working at the time and beg for sanitary supplies,” she said. “If they refused because they were locked in a closet and didn’t feel like getting them for me at the time, I would have had to go from inmate to inmate begging them for extra sanitation.”
The federal government has begun offering free access to menstrual products for women federal prisoners as of 2017 According to the Ohio Justice and Policy Center, 25 states have laws requiring open access to feminine hygiene products in prisons.
“The lack of a formal policy leaves decisions at the discretion of prison staff, creating inconsistencies and opportunities for abuse,” he added. Humphrey said during the sponsor’s testimony. “Passing HB 29 is not just a matter of fairness – it is also about demonstrating Ohio’s commitment to humane treatment and basic public health.”
As of March, there were approximately 3,660 inmates in the Ohio Correctional Facility for Women, the Dayton Correctional Facility and the Northeast Reintegration Center.
Follow a Capital Journal reporter Megan Henry in Bluesky.
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