Nearly 150 women- inmates in the prison of California Department of Correction and Rehabilitation were pressured into getting sterilized (with tubal ligation) by the prison staff and a Gynecologist named James Heinrich. This happened during 2006-2010 without state approval and in violation of prison rules. According to the state records the doctors were paid $148,000 to perform the procedure during this period.


In an investigation report, that sparked public outrage, the Center for Investigative Reporting (CIR) found that all these women were coerced to get sterilized against their will. The master minds behind this unethical eugenics were the prison manager and the prison gynecologist Dr. James Heinrich.


In an interview with the CIR, Heinrich  justified the spending of tax payers money on the procedure saying, “this isn’t a huge amount of money compared to what you save in welfare paying for unwanted children - as these women procreate more.”

Several former inmates, who are now leading normal life, interviewed by CIR said that they were forced to undergo the procedure without any explanation or proper informed consent.

But, during an interview with CIR, Heinrich said he provided an important service to poor women who faced health risks in future pregnancies because of past cesarean sections. The 69-year-old physician denied pressuring anyone and expressed surprise that local contract doctors had charged only a minimal amount for the surgeries.

One former inmate named Kimberly Jeffrey says she was pressured by a doctor while sedated and strapped to a surgical table for a C-section in 2010, during her time at state prison for a parole violation. Jeffrey, 43, was horrified, she said, and resisted while in a semi-conscious state.

As per medical ethics and law, sterilization during labor is coercive because pain and discomfort can impair a woman’s ability to use proper judgment and give decision with full knowledge.

State politicians have reacted strongly to the report and several organizations are calling for a government enquiry. Senator Ted Lieu has asked the California medical board to look into the violations by doctors and take actions immediately. The California Legislative Women’s Caucus has sent a letter to the head of California Correctional Health Services demanding answers.