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Inmate Pregnancy Care  


Author:  Margaret Moreland.


Source: Volume 17, Number 04, May/June 2016 , pp.53-54(2)




Correctional Health Care Report

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Abstract: 

About 5% of incarcerated women in the U.S. enter prison while pregnant. Complicating the situation is the fact that many are classified as high risk because of drug addiction, sexually transmitted diseases, or pelvic inflammatory disease. Nevertheless, previous research has established that only limited resources are allocated for this population, leading to inadequate medical care for miscarriages, premature births, and deliveries, as well as inappropriate diets and workloads. The consequences are increased numbers of fetal and neonatal deaths, intrauterine growth retardation, premature labor and delivery, and other conditions requiring neonatal intensive care. In addition, women who give birth while incarcerated and are then separated from their newborns may experience severe psychological distress. In “An Analysis of Court Decisions, Statutes, and Administrative Regulations Related to Pregnant Inmates,” Leah McCoy Grubb and Rolando V. del Carmen evaluated pregnancy-specific laws and/or administrative regulations in the forty-one states (and District of Columbia) that had such mandates by June 2012. They also looked at court decisions impacting the care given pregnant inmates and provided a model statute that would ensure adequate care. This article summarizes the results of their meta-analysis.

Keywords: Eighth Amendment; National Commission on Correctional Health Care (NCCHC), American Correctional Association (ACA), American Public Health Assocation (APHA)standards for pregnancy care; Estelle v. Gamble

Affiliations:  1: Pace University School of Law Library.

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