"It's more of a sore subject," Reagle said. When you don't have any numbers to pay attention to them, then anything can happen. We know that there is a lot of variability in the kind of medical care that any incarcerated person, but especially a pregnant incarcerated person, receives. TO MAKE MATTERS WORSE, OUR KIDS WERE IN THE CAR WHEN HE WAS PULLED OVER. And, in the remaining 27 states, pregnant women are regularly shackled during transport to and from medical facilities and chained to hospital beds by the ankle, wrist, or both during labor and delivery. 36 0 obj << /Linearized 1 /O 38 /H [ 860 334 ] /L 129470 /E 93671 /N 10 /T 128632 >> endobj xref 36 21 0000000016 00000 n Infants cannot be transported with their mothers because the child isnt a prisoner of the state, and BAMBIthe Baby and Mother Bonding Initiativeis designed to keep it that way. When it was time to deliver, the inmate would be taken to a local hospital. That trickles down to who gets counted and who doesn't. A 25-Year Quagmire: The War on Drugs and Its Impact on American Society. So the impact of these pregnancies on the next generation on families on communities particularly communities of color is profound. But, there are a few facilities who do have prison nursery programs, and the number is slowly growing. After giving birth, most incarcerated mothers are allowed only 24 hours with their newborns in the hospital; the infants are then either placed with relatives or in foster care, and the mothers are returned to prison or jail [24]. They can be denied their right to access abortion. The study included 57 percent of the US prison population (New York, California and Florida were not included). Why has there been so little research on this population? After the birth, the intense and uncertain process of bonding begins, a process that is increasingly recognized as essential to a successful and healthy life for the baby. "It's keeping that child from the foster care system. All of the Texas Observers articles are available for free syndication for news sources under the following conditions: You can chip in for as little as 99 cents a month. Many call it a blessing.. The login page will open in a new tab. TDCJ has relaxed the minimum stay, too. According to the Washington Post, its a bold experiment thats caused a lot of debate about punishment and parenting. Where Is Elizabeth Holmes Now And When Will She Go To Jail? PDF Legislative Recommendations for Justice System-Involved - Texas CJE Austin resident Diana Claitor is a freelance writer who also does historical research and directs the Texas Jail Project. Advocates of prison nursery programs say that they are crucial for the mother/baby bonding process. 0000004256 00000 n Because the number of male prisoners overwhelmingly exceeds the number of female prisonersprisons and jails are over 90 percent malethese institutions have not prioritized the appropriate health and safety protocols for women during transport to a medical facility [15].
