Plain English Breakdown
The official status shows the bill passed both chambers, but no effective date is listed in the provided metadata.
AB-1645: The HUGS Act on Prison Visits
This law requires prison regulations to recognize the importance of physical contact during visits and prohibits unreasonable restrictions on certain types of nonsexual touch.
What This Bill Does
- Requires Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation regulations to consider the value of visitation for safety, family connections, and rehabilitation.
- Mandates that new rules specifically recognize the importance of physical contact in incarcerated person visits.
- Prohibits prison officials from unreasonably restricting certain types of nonsexual physical contact during a visit.
Who It Names or Affects
- People currently held in state prisons
- Family members and friends who visit incarcerated people
- The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
Terms To Know
- Incarcerated person
- A person who is held in a prison.
- Visitation
- The time when family members or friends are allowed to see an incarcerated person.
Limits and Unknowns
- Rules must still maintain order, safety of persons, and security of facilities.
- Physical contact rules apply only as provided by the regulations adopted later.
- The law does not list every specific type of physical touch allowed.