Associated Press
LINCOLN, Neb. — Nebraska’s corrections department is increasing access to tampons for female inmates after a state senator asked the agency to review its policies.
Sen. Patty Pansing Brooks of Lincoln said Wednesday she has received confirmation from the Department of Correctional Services. A department spokeswoman says tampons will be available in housing units in about 30 days.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska reported in October that women and girls in Nebraska’s prisons were paying more for hygiene products than they would at local stores and pharmacies.
Pansing Brooks says the department agreed to provide generic tampons for free and non-generic feminine products at cost. She says she had planned to introduce a bill to force a change, but Department Director Scott Frakes agreed to resolve the issue informally.