The civic record
Read. Follow. Verify.Alabama HB 54 establishes pre-incarceration probation for pregnant and postpartum women and restricts restraints
Last action · February 12, 2026: Read for the Second Time and placed on the CalendarSponsor: Rolanda Hollis
Track this bill to get notified when it advances a stage. One tap to stop, anytime.
What This Bill Would Do
This bill allows courts to grant supervised to pregnant or postpartum women facing jail or prison sentences, provided they do not pose an immediate public safety risk. Under the measure, women must self-surrender to serve their sentences 12 months after giving birth, and failure to do so is classified as a Class D felony. Additionally, the legislation bans the use of shackles and waist restraints during pregnancy, labor, and for 12 weeks postpartum, taking effect on October 1, 2026.
The measure directly alters the timing of imprisonment and correctional supervision rules for pregnant and postpartum inmates, shifting custody arrangements until one year after childbirth and instituting electronic monitoring or residential reentry programming without assessing probation fees or fines.
- State legislatures frequently review laws concerning the treatment and conditions of incarcerated pregnant individuals to address healthcare and human rights concerns. context
- Existing Alabama code under Section 14-6-19.1 previously regulated custodial handling and strip searches of female inmates, which this bill amends. context
Who It Would Affect
Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Pregnant and postpartum inmates
Eligible individuals may receive deferred sentences via pre-incarceration probation, are exempt from restraints during pregnancy and 12 weeks postpartum, and must self-surrender 12 months after childbirth.
Board of Pardons and Paroles
The board must establish a CARE Coordinator, administer electronic monitoring, determine reentry facility placements, and publish an annual report starting March 1.
County and municipal jails
Jails must conduct intake pregnancy screening, offer pregnancy tests, facilitate transfers, and comply with strict limitations on the use of restraints.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if a woman is pregnant when she enters a county jail?
Are women on pre-incarceration probation required to pay fees?
What are the rules regarding the use of restraints on pregnant inmates?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
Follow the record
Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently on floor. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Passed.
Procedural history
5 actions- Feb 12, 2026HouseRead for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar
- Feb 11, 2026HouseCommitteeReported Out of Committee House of Origin
- Feb 11, 2026HouseJudiciary 1st Substitute
- Jan 13, 2026HouseCommitteePending Committee Action in House of Origin
- Jan 13, 2026HouseIntroducedRead for the first time and referred to the House Committee on Judiciary
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Expansion of Postpartum Restraint Protections
The bill extends the protected immediate postpartum period from 6 weeks to 12 weeks during which waist and leg restraints are generally prohibited.
Connected Entities
Sources
alison.legislature.state.al.us
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance75How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy45Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz35Current news / social attention level
Publisher tools