How often does misogyny and the drug war intersect in such a disgusting and frightening way? It has come to my attention that some misguided judges out there think that jailing pregnant women with addiction problems is the best way to protect the health of their fetuses.
This has resulted in women giving birth in jail. I can think of nothing more horrible than having to endure the ungodly pain of childbirth while alone in a dirty jail cell. One poor woman gave birth, unattended and alone, after her cries for help went unanswered.
If you want to protect women and children, why not do something about the horrendous infant mortality rate? Because of the lack of universal healthcare, women living in poverty do not get prenatal care. If the US had universal healthcare, 15 000 more babies per year would survive.
But instead we have laws that jail pregnant women and may keep other women from getting the pre-natal care they need to improve the health of themselves and their babies. If I was a drug-addicted pregnant woman, the last thing I would want to do is seek health care and wind up in jail for abusing my fetus. There is no possible way that the law serves pregnant women and their children in any way.
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