BOC advocates for higher standard of care and dedicated pregnancy dormitory
Cintron Hernandez says BOC supports a higher standard of care than outside jail, including immediate mental health access and a dedicated dormitory for pregnant people. She notes risks of general population such as chemical agents and lack of specialized beds.
To the extent that people in custody are in the care of the OC and CHS,
The board supports a higher standard of care than would be provided outside of the jail setting, given the serious factors that are at play in this environment.
This should include immediate and consistent access to mental health services, particularly postpartum, and a dormitory where people in custody could reside during their pregnancy.
Prior to the creation of the Resch Annex to house men in the Rosam Singer Center, DOC designated a dormitory for pregnant women which allowed them to be cared for without the risks of being in general population.
Those risks are made evident with cases in which certain tactics, such as releasing chemical agents or other methods of control,
may need to be deployed in a housing area that would put a pregnant individual at risk.
In addition, amenities such as specialized beds and other measures that are often used to provide better care during pregnancy are not generally available in general population.
These, along with the rigors of daily jail life, can cause a cumulative effect.
That results in detrimental outcomes and unnecessary stress for the expectant person in custody.
The board's
supports the Council's efforts to bring greater attention to maternal health and believes this legislation provides an opportunity to build upon the ongoing work at CHS and DOC, officially implementing a policy for coordinated care from pregnancy
through the postpartum period.