State Prison Information

This is a closer look at the state women’s facilities and whether they explicitly mention the provision of menstrual products like pads, tampons, and panty liners to inmates in their prisoner handbooks, where available, or not. Vague references to ‘hygiene products’ or ‘hygiene items’ are not counted.

Information for all facilities is from each state’s Department of Corrections website, all of which are listed on the Relevant Links page. Note that several states have handbooks for friends and family of inmates, which are not the same as inmate handbooks and do not provide as much detail.

State	Mentioned in Handbook	Relevant Excerpt
Alabama	Yes _{(Nov 1, 2017 version)}	p. 10-11 “Hygiene Items – Necessary toilet articles will be supplied for you or you can purchase preferred items from the canteen. Necessary items include toothbrush, toothpaste, bar soap, hair shampoo, hair pressing oil, deodorant, disposable razor, shaving cream, a comb and brush, shower shoes, feminine hygiene items (sanitary napkins and tampons), and toilet paper. Both feminine hygiene items and toilet paper are unlimited and are continuously stocked on all units. If you are running low or out of these, please tell a staff member.”
Alaska	Yes _{(May 2019 version)}	p. 48 “Authorized Property List…Sanitary Napkins/Tampons – box…quantities as required, prescribed or permitted by Medical or approved by the Superintendent.”
Arizona	No _{(Apr 8, 2019 version)}
Arkansas	Yes _{(Mar 2020 version)}	p. 13 “Personal Clothing The ADC provides uniforms, undergarments, a pair of shoes, soap, toothbrush, toothpaste, safety razor with blade, bath towels and feminine hygiene items.”
California	No – Central California Women’s Facility, California Institution for Women, Folsom State Prison _{(CCWF – Jan 16, 2020 version, CIW – Oct 2013 version, FSP – Feb 2021 version)}
Colorado	Yes – Denver Women’s Facility , No – La Vista _{(DWF – Jul 2021 version, La Vista – as of Aug 24, 2021)}	p. 4 “You will be issued one hygiene kit which includes: soap, toothbrush, toothpaste, comb, shampoo, feminine hygiene pads, and toilet paper.”
Connecticut	No _{(May 2021 version)}
Delaware	No _{(Feb 7, 2014 version)}
Florida	No _{(Nov 9, 2018 version)}
Georgia	No _{(As of Jul 28, 2021)}
Hawaii	No _{(Feb 15, 2017 version)}
Idaho	No _{(As of Jul 28, 2021)}
Illinois	Yes – Logan, Fox Valley _{(Logan – Jul 2020 version, Fox – Oct 2021 version)} No – Decatur, Logan Reception & Classification _{(Decatur – May 10, 2021 version, Logan R&C – as of 29 Oct, 2021)}	Logan – p. 29 “State–issued feminine hygiene products are distributed on state-pay week at no charge to the offender. Feminine hygiene products are also available for purchase at the Offender Commissary.” Fox – p. 37 “Sanitary pads are available at the Shift area.”
Indiana	No _{(2016 version)}
Iowa	No _{(May 2018 version)}
Kansas	No _{(10 Jun, 2019 version)}
Kentucky	No _{(2020 version)}
Louisiana	No _{(2021 version)}
Maine	No _{(Sep 2021 version)}
Maryland	No _{(2020 version)}
Massachusetts	No – General Inmate, Framingham, Shattuck Hospital Unit _{(Gen – Dec 13, 2012 version, Framingham – Aug 2021 version, Shattuck- Mar 26, 2021 version)}
Michigan	No _{(Feb 20, 2018 version)}
Minnesota	No – General Inmate _{(Gen – 2012 version)} Yes – Shakopee _{(Shakopee – Jul 2019 version)}	p.7 “Feminine hygiene products are available for free to all offenders. You have the option to purchase name brand items through canteen.”
Mississippi	Yes _{(Jun 2016 version)}	Ch VII, p. 15 “Female inmates will be issued sanitary napkins”
Missouri	Yes – Chillicothe, Chillicothe Treatment Housing _{(Chillicothe – Oct 23, 2013 version, CTH – Feb 8, 2013 version)}	p. 11 “State toilet paper, soap and sanitary pads are provided.” _{(p. 10 in treatment housing handbook)}
Montana	No _{(Jan 2019 version)}
Nebraska	No _{(Jun 1, 2015 version)}
Nevada	No _{(Jul, 2020 version)}
New Hampshire	No _{(2012 version, being revised as of Aug 13, 2021)}
New Jersey	No _{(As of Jul 28, 2021)}
New Mexico	No – Western _{(Western – Dec 2021 version)} Yes – Springer _{(Springer – May 13, 2021 version)}	p.13 “Only indigent inmates are eligible to receive certain personal items from the Canteen, free of charge….The hygiene kit will be composed of the following items and will only be issued one (1) time….1- Sanitary Napkins”
New York	Albion – Yes _{(May 2019 version)} Bedford Hills – Yes _{(May 2021 version)} Lakeview – No _{(July 2020 version)}	Albion – p. 9 “On the fourth Saturday of each month, the following supplies are issued….2 twelve packs of sanitary napkins….Inmates who require more than the standard issue of sanitary napkins will need authorization from medical.” Bedford – p.38 “Toilet paper, sanitary napkins, soap, and toothpaste are delivered to each unit once a month and are distributed to each offender. You are responsible for monitoring these supplies so they last the full month.”
North Carolina	No – NC Institution for Women, Canary Unit) _{(NCIW – Aug 18, 2020 version, Canary – Dec 8, 2020)}
North Dakota	No _{(Aug 2021 version)}
Ohio	No – DCI, NERC _{(Jan 2021 versions)} Yes – ORW _{(Jan 2021 version)}	ORW – p.51 “You will receive…hygiene kit…in reception the day you are admitted to the institution….the hygiene kit contains…sanitary napkins.” (Also available for indigent inmates)
Oklahoma	No _{(Sep 2021 version)}
Oregon	No _{(As of Jul 28, 2021)}
Pennsylvania	No – General Inmate, Cambridge Springs, Muncy, Quehanna _{(Gen – 2017 version, CS – 2020 version, Muncy – 2018 version, Quehanna – 2017 version)}
Rhode Island	No _{(As of Aug 2021)}
South Carolina	No _{(Jul 2021 version)}
South Dakota	No _{(Apr 2021 version)}
Tennessee	No _{(Aug 2018 version)}
Texas	No _{(Feb 2017 version)}
Utah	No _{(Mar 2017 version)}
Vermont	Yes _{(Sep 2011 version)}	p.26 “Inmate Allowable Property Matrix…Sanitary Napkins/Tampons… One month’s supply… Commissary purchase except indigent inmates. Females only.”
Virginia	No – VCCW, FCCW _{(VCCW – Jun 2020 version, FCCW – May 2021 version)}
Washington	No _{(As of Jul 2021)}
West Virginia	Yes _{(Apr 2019)}	p.24 (76/91) “Upon assignment to a housing unit, each inmate will be issued or made available the following personal hygiene items: feminine hygiene”
Wisconsin	Yes _{(Mar 2017 version)}	p. 9 “Feminine hygiene items and bags are available in each housing unit upon request.”
Wyoming	No _{(2016 version)}

All information from state corrections department websites, the University of Michigan Law Policy Clearinghouse (when no handbook found on the state website), and the product of state FOIA requests.

Page last updated 31 May, 2023