Controversy is brewing in the California prison system, as women have been reporting that they were coerced into being sterilized by prison-appointed doctors. The case is reminiscent of the eugenics practices of the mid-20th century, wherein it was believed that people deemed genetically unfit should not reproduce.

In total, nearly 150 female inmates were sterilized between 2006 and 2010 by doctors under contract with California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. The procedure, known as a tubal ligation, was performed on women who were deemed to be a detriment to society. Former inmates say those women were coerced into having the procedure.

"As soon as he found out that I had five kids, he suggested that I look into getting it done," Christina Cordero, a former inmate at Valley State Prison, said of Dr. James Heinrich. "The closer I got to my due date, the more he talked about it. He made me feel like a bad mother if I didn't do it. Today, I wish I would have never had it done."

The finding come from a report by the Center for Investigative Reporting (CIR). The report found that the state of California paid nearly $150,000 to have each woman sterilized but supported the expensive procedure by claiming it would save money in the long run by keeping likely welfare recipients from being born. One of the doctors who performed the procedure denies that what he did was immoral.

"In an interview with CIR, Heinrich said he provided an important service to poor women who faced health risks in future pregnancies because of past Caesarean sections. The 69-year-old Bay Area physician denied pressuring anyone," reported the Huffington Post.

Still, many of the former inmates and their advocates are adamant that what happened to them was nothing short of genetic engineering of the population. They claim that when they weren't initially open to the procedure, doctors would resort to stealth tactics in order to get them to comply.

"He said, 'So we're going to be doing this tubal ligation, right?' " Jeffrey said. "I'm like, 'Tubal ligation? What are you talking about? I don't want any procedure. I just want to have my baby.' I went into a straight panic," recalled Kimberly Jeffrey, 43.

The eugenics movement gained headway in the 1950's and 60's as it was believed that certain individuals should be barred from reproducing as they would create an inferior breed of human, and many were sterilized against their will. Since the 1970s it has been illegal to coerce or otherwise trick a patient into sterilization.