New Legislation Establishes a Standardized Indigence Threshold to End Harmful Hygiene Policies in County Jails and Juvenile Facilities
SACRAMENTO, CA — Backed by a coalition of justice advocates, Senator Josh Becker (D-Menlo Park) introduced SB 498 to ensure that incarcerated individuals in county jails and youth detention centers have guaranteed access to basic hygiene products like soap, toothpaste, and shampoo. It standardizes the indigence threshold across counties, preventing individuals from falling into hygiene debt—a practice that forces those without financial resources to purchase hygiene products on credit, pushing them into commissary debt that follows them even after release.
“Incarcerated individuals should not have to go without soap, toothpaste or other hygiene products simply because they don’t have money,” said Senator Becker. “The inconsistent and imbalanced standards throughout our county jails cause individuals to be denied access to these essentials unless they are completely out of funds for days at a time. SB 498 will end this unjust practice, which not only violates basic dignity but also creates public health issues and imposes financial burdens that make it harder for people to reintegrate into society after incarceration.”
“We are proud to co-sponsor SB 498 to provide free and guaranteed hygiene kits to indigent incarcerated people in county jails and youth detention centers, ensuring their dignity and wellbeing without additional financial strain. People incarcerated in California correctional facilities are imposed with heavy financial burdens just to maintain basic hygiene and wellbeing. Indigent incarcerated people are often denied access to hygiene kits or they accumulate debt to purchase necessities like soap, toothpaste, and deodorant. We stand with incarcerated people and their families to advocate for more accessibility — not more financial burden." – Simelia Rogers, Policy Associate with the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights.
Many county jails and youth detention centers in California set extremely low indigence thresholds, requiring individuals to have nearly zero dollars in their accounts for multiple days before they qualify for limited free hygiene products. In Los Angeles County, for example, the threshold is just $2.00, while several other counties require a $0 balance. As a result, individuals who lack financial support from family members—many of whom are already struggling to meet their own basic needs—are often left without essential hygiene items.
In juvenile detention facilities, access to hygiene products is often inconsistent, with items distributed irregularly or even withheld as punishment. These practices disproportionately impact Black, Brown, transgender, and queer individuals, further deepening systemic inequalities in the justice system.
SB 498 establishes a fair and consistent standard for hygiene access across county jails and youth detention centers by:
- Setting a standardized indigence threshold, defining indigence as an individual possessing $25 or less in their “inmate account” for seven consecutive days;
- Banning the practice of charging indigent individuals for hygiene products or allowing them to accumulate commissary debt for these essentials; and
- Providing debt forgiveness for individuals who have accrued hygiene-related commissary debt while incarcerated in county jails.
SB 498 is sponsored by Women’s Foundation California and is supported by a coalition that includes the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, La Defensa, RYSE, Rising Communities, Beauty Beyond Bars, Sister Warriors Freedom Coalition, and Fresh Lifelines for Youth.
What Others are Saying:
“Too often, community members ensnared in the carceral system are trapped in a cycle of poverty. Once incarcerated, this vicious cycle continues as several county jails across California charge individuals for access to basic hygiene products such as toothpaste and deodorant, forcing some to accrue debt for their purchase of these vital items. Community members should not be coerced into financial debt or have access to hygiene products used as a reward or punishment to control them. La Defensa is proud to co-sponsor SB 498 to expand free and guaranteed access to indigent hygiene kits statewide across County jails and youth detention centers.” - Ivette Alé-Ferlito, Executive Director, La Defensa
"Hygiene is a basic human right, a simple and effective way to prevent the spread of illness and contagious diseases, and it saves critical taxpayer dollars. Establishing a standardized indigence threshold is a crucial step toward ensuring that no incarcerated person in California is denied basic hygiene products due to financial hardship. This bill upholds dignity and fairness, eliminating the unjust burden of hygiene debt that disproportionately harms the most vulnerable in our justice system." – Sejal Patel, Rising Communities.
“This should not even be a conversation being had. These are basic essentials. In order to stay healthy, you're going to need access to hygiene. Think about it, you could be innocent in jail waiting to bail out. No toothpaste, no soap, no deodorant, no nothing. Some people only spend a day or two before being bailed out and they say ‘ I’m burning these clothes, it stinks, I stink, I need to take a million showers.’ And some people spend their whole lives in jail or prison. Without enough soap to decently keep their bodies healthy and clean. With nobody to ask. And nobody seems to care.” – Andrea Gates-Riley Formerly Incarcerated Re-entry Case Manager at TGIJP.
“At Women’s Foundation California, we believe that dignity is non-negotiable. Access to basic hygiene products is a fundamental human right, not a privilege tied to financial status. SB 498 is a critical step in ending the unjust and harmful policies that deny incarcerated individuals the ability to care for themselves. No one should have to choose between hygiene and debt. We stand in strong support of this bill to ensure that all individuals—regardless of income or carceral status—have the basic necessities they need to maintain their health and dignity.” - Bia Vieira, CEO Women’s Foundation California
SB 498 will be heard in Senate Committees on Public Safety in the coming weeks.