Today, California Governor Gavin Newsom is expected to announce final passage and signing of landmark reparations for the modern-day eugenics and reproductive injustices in California state prisons exposed in the award-winning PBS documentary Belly Of The Beast. In celebration of this, the film is being re-released today for free streaming via PBS.org
The order will make California the first state to both provide notification of coerced sterilization and reparations to survivors who were sterilized while incarcerated in its state women’s prisons and the third state in the nation to provide monetary compensation to survivors who were sterilized under state eugenics laws.
The award-winning filmmakers behind the PBS documentary Belly of the Beast uncovered nearly 1,400 questionable sterilizations in California prisons during labor or unrelated abdominal surgeries between 1997-2013. The film, released widely in 2020, helped garner nearly 20,000 signatures on a petition to Governor Newsom demanding reparations for California forced sterilization survivors.
“I’m thrilled Belly of the Beast contributed to this historic moment and we will continue to shine a light on our nation’s dark past until these heinous practices are eradicated,” says director/producer Erika Cohn.
Between 1909 and 1979, California sterilized at least 20,000 people under State law — accounting for one third of eugenics sterilizations nationwide. People with disabilities, Latinas, women, and poor people were disproportionately targeted for sterilization. Although the State repealed its eugenics law in 1979, coerced and forced sterilizations continued in State prisons into the 2010’s.
“To this day, many survivors who were sterilized while in prison still don’t know that their reproductive capacities were stolen from them. With the launch of reparations, we will finally receive justice that we have fought so long for and the healing process can truly begin. It’s time,” said Kelli Dillon, founder of Back to the Basics, sterilization survivor, and film participant.
Governor Newson’s anticipated budget includes funding for the reparations program. The budget request and accompanying bill, AB1007, was authored by California Assembly member Wendy Carrillo. Cynthia, Kelli and the Belly of the Beast team are a part of a larger cross-movement coalition for reparations including the AB1007 sponsors, Back to the Basics, California Coalition for Women Prisoners, California Latinas for Reproductive Justice and the Disability Rights and Education Defense Fund.
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