FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
The following statement can be attributed to ACLU-KY Policy Strategist Jackie McGranahan:
“The Governor today signed Senate Bill 84 to establish appropriate standards of care for pregnant incarcerated people. The bill will end solitary confinement of pregnant people, ensure six weeks of post-partum care, and connect people with a social worker to determine care for the infant and develop a reunification and treatment plan. It will also require the state to collect and share data on the number of pregnant incarcerated people, when and why corrections officers place a person in solitary confinement, and the demographics of each person placed in solitary.
The lives of those who are pregnant and incarcerated are often plagued by poverty, substance use disorder, histories of trauma and abuse, and limited access to healthcare. Currently, there are no systemic reports tracking outcomes for these Kentuckians or their children. Documenting pregnancies and pregnancy outcomes will help officials and advocates understand the issues facing pregnant Kentuckians to increase health equity, reduce health disparities, and improve outcomes for all people.
Giving birth is challenging under any circumstances. Dignity Bill 2 will give pregnant people the chance to receive the care they need and increase the possibility of a healthy pregnancy and healthy birth.
We are grateful to the bill’s sponsor, Senator Julie Raque Adams, the General Assembly, and the Governor for moving this law forward and protecting Kentucky families."
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