Dignity for Incarcerated Women Act of 2017 or the Dignity Act
This bill amends the federal criminal code to establish requirements for the treatment of prisoners.
It directs the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to place prisoners as close to their children as possible, provide videoconferencing free of charge, provide trauma-informed care to prisoners diagnosed with trauma, and make specified health products (e.g., tampons) available free of charge.
Additionally, with respect to prisoners who are primary caretaker parents, the BOP must provide parenting classes, allow visitation from family members, and establish a pilot program to allow overnight visits from family members.
Finally, the bill allows a prisoner who is pregnant or a primary caretaker parent to participate in a residential substance abuse treatment program, even if the individual failed to disclose a substance abuse problem.