“New York opened the first prison nursery in 1901; today 11 states have them. Criteria for eligibility vary, but generally women convicted of child-related or violent crimes are ineligible, as are women with behavioural or mental-health problems, or with a record of disciplinary problems in prison. In Washington, women accepted into the programme must be pregnant at the time of their imprisonment, and have less than 30 months to serve from the time of delivery; mothers and children are released together. “

The Economist

May 20, 2019