Pregnant women held in AL jail to "Protect fetuses"

[Bettie]

Link to tweet

https://www.al.com/news/2022/09/pregnant-women-held-for-months-in-one-alabama-jail-to-protect-fetuses-from-drugs.html

Police arrested Ashley Banks on May 25 with an unregistered gun and a small amount of marijuana. Under normal circumstances, the 23-year-old from Gadsden would have been able to post bond and leave jail until her criminal trial. But Banks admitted to smoking pot on the same day she found out she was pregnant – two days before her arrest. In Etowah County, that meant she couldn’t leave jail unless she entered drug rehab, leaving her in limbo for three months.

She’s not the only one, according to attorneys involved in her case. Several pregnant women and new moms accused of exposing their fetuses to drugs have been held for weeks or months inside the Etowah County Detention Center under special bond conditions that require rehab and $10,000 cash.

Attorneys with National Advocates for Pregnant Women, an organization that opposes laws that criminalize pregnancy, say it’s unfair to impose special conditions on pregnant women who haven’t been convicted of any crimes.

As a result of the policy, the Etowah County Detention Center often holds several pregnant and postpartum women in the jail, against the advice of experts on maternal and fetal health. Dr. Carolyn Sufrin, an OB/GYN and expert on incarceration and pregnancy at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, wrote an affidavit urging the court to release Banks.

[Nevilledog]

1. JFC

[Hermit-The-Prog]

2. The radicalized Republican party is viciously insane and out of control.

Roe, Roe, Roe your vote
against theocracy!
Republicans revoke your rights
and kill democracy!

Donate to 38 House candidates: https://www.democraticunderground.com/100217067267
Stick 'em up for a blue wave: https://www.democraticunderground.com/100217078977

[Maraya1969]

5. Done! I wish some of these can be pinned to the top of forums.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

7. Omaha Steve has one pinned and does an excellent job of updating amounts donated

Wednesdays posts primary, etc., notices as they come up

[Torchlight]

3. GOP is furiously working to make Syria look positively progressive

by contrast.

[DFW]

10. The Republicans are making the Taliban look progressive.

To Republicans, the Spanish Inquisition was a liberal movement financed by George Soros.

[Mr. Ected]

4. Tell me again why we didn't let Alabama secede when we had the chance?

I'm joking, of course, but they were confederates then and they're confederates now.

[MontanaMama]

6. So much freedom.

Do I need this?

[keithbvadu2]

8. The jail must be providing healthcare to protect the fetus. Right?

The jail must be providing healthcare to protect the fetus.

Right?

And proper diet.

[jaxexpat]

31. There are no non-biblical reading materials or coat hangers to be found in the facility.

[Farmer-Rick]

34. Actually the jail isn't even providing regular OB services

She fainted from lack of food twice and the place is infested with bugs. They think these conditions are better for the fetus.

She's a high risk pregnancy with bleeding problems and they think locking her up in a dirty infested cell is good for the fetus.

The GOP just want to terrorize women. Bunch of wackos.

[Bettie]

35. Or they are hoping she miscarries

so they can prosecute her for using drugs and causing her own miscarriage. SMH...sounds out there, until you realize who we're talking about.

[Farmer-Rick]

39. Good point

If she loses the fetus, they will have a victim to prosecute and terrorize.

[keithbvadu2]

38. Quelle Surprise!

[niyad]

9. and the WAR ON WOMEN continues apace. Would you consider cross-posting this in

Women's Rights And Issues? Thanks in advance.

[Bettie]

12. Done

just now!

[mainer]

11. "Protecting fetus" by forcing pregnant woman to sleep on jail floor

While she’s bleeding.

[packman]

13. I wonder how it's recorded - is it "one in a cell" or "Two in a cell"

Double rations, double space, double everything ---

[Lonestarblue]

14. Tell me again that Republicans don't hate women. They're just trying to help them by putting

them in jail. I f…ing hate these people! I have rarely truly hated anyone in my life, but that has changed with so many knuckle-dragging Republicans freely allowed and encouraged to persecute women and minorities.

[OMGWTF]

15. So. Much. Fking. Misogyny.

[area51]

22. +1 n/t

[TeamProg]

16. Shithole southern state. n/t

[maxsolomon]

17. MANDATORY REHAB for admitting to smoking weed?

Meanwhile, there aren't enough spots in rehabs to take Opiate addicts...

[Midnight Writer]

18. Why am I thinking about puppy mills right now?

Someday they will keep women locked in a shed in back of the house churning out babies.

[EnergizedLib]

19. Another reason why

Dobbs was a massive mistake.

Protect the fetus, but not the mother.

[Botany]

20. A young women in rural Alabama had a pistol and some weed? And she had sex too.

What are the odds of that?

1 to 19%

20 to 50%

51 to 75%

76 to 100%

*******
We need the biggest blue wave in the world this fall and then we have to clean up these Christo Fascist Shits.
They do not get to tell all the other Americans what we can or can't do.

I hope the young ladies sue the shit out any law enforcement people or departments that arrested or "fucked
with" those women. Sue for damages.

[IronLionZion]

21. They want young women to have guns

but not weed or sex.

[Ferrets are Cool]

23. I am loathe to categorize, but she probably voted for the very same officials that is responsible

for this atrocity. I live here....it is difficult to find democrats in this state.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

32. I'd say it's much more likely she didn't vote at all, not that it matters.

[bahboo]

24. all about the cruelty...VOTE...

because your life does depend on it....

[wnylib]

27. Vote. Your life depends on it (women).

Vote. Your wife depends on it (men).

Vote. Your daughter depends on it (parents).

Vote. Democracy depends on it.

[world wide wally]

25. If you want to know what America will look like in 20 years, look at Alabama today

[lindysalsagal]

26. Keep voting gqp. Alabama. Jesus would lock all fertile women up

But, of course, not the fathers.

This is Handmaid's Tale. GQP owns all fertile women. No kidding. They'll take your vote away, too.

[Shrike47]

28. Of course this is offensive and violates these women's rights, but...

I used to represent the State in termination of parental rights cases during a methamphetamine craze in my state. Most of us have heard of fetal alcohol syndrome which can have permanent negative effects. Babies born to meth-using mothers have a hard time. Infants going through heroin withdrawal suffer. It’s very disturbing. Some judges would revoke probation of pregnant women who were caught using and keep them in custody until birth.

It’s something to add to the equation. But I can’t imagine a judge incarcerating pre-conviction to protect a fetus, nor incarcerating over marijuana. The state of the science may have changed, but as of ten years ago we could not prove marijuana hurt fetuses at all.

[Joinfortmill]

29. VOTE

[sarcasmo]

30. Land of the free, Not in a red State.

[LudwigPastorius]

33. They want to incarcerate those women and force them to have healthy babies, so that...

the instant they are born, they can cut their financial aid, school lunches, free vaccinations, daycare, etc,. etc,.

[FelineOverlord]

36. Alabama is trash

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

[Emile]

37. We need to legalize weed now!

[lostnfound]

40. Read the whole article -- worse than the title.

Unreal.
1. Hard to protect against COVID. 2.Hard to get the folic acid you need, and keep up strength for birth. 3. Excess stress.

Not to mention they are ribbing the woman of freedom during a time that freedom is particularly precious.
Time to spend on YOURSELF before accepting the 20 year 24x7 responsibility.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

41. K&R