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HCR043...............................by JUDICIARY, RULES AND ADMINISTRATION FEMALE INMATES - Stating findings of the Legislature regarding the welfare of babies born to women who are incarcerated and urging the Board of Correction to consider a nursery program. 01/24 House intro - 1st rdg - to printing 01/25 Rpt prt - to Jud 02/14 Rpt out - rec d/p - to 2nd rdg 02/15 2nd rdg - to 3rd rdg 02/21 3rd rdg - ADOPTED - voice vote - to Senate 02/22 Senate intro - 1st rdg - to Jud
|||| LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF IDAHO |||| Fifty-sixth Legislature Second Regular Session - 2002IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 43 BY JUDICIARY, RULES AND ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE 1 A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 2 STATING FINDINGS OF THE LEGISLATURE CONCERNING THE WELFARE OF BABIES BORN TO 3 WOMEN WHO ARE INCARCERATED AND DIRECTING THE BOARD OF CORRECTION TO STUDY 4 A NURSERY PROGRAM AND REPORT TO THE LEGISLATURE. 5 Be It Resolved by the Legislature of the State of Idaho: 6 WHEREAS, both President George W. Bush and Governor Dirk Kempthorne have 7 urged that we must "Leave No Child Behind"; and 8 WHEREAS, children of Idaho female inmates who are born while their mothers 9 are incarcerated should not be left behind; and 10 WHEREAS, modern medical science supports the premise that newborn babies 11 need to bond with their mothers to be psychologically healthy; and 12 WHEREAS, three states, New York (where a nursery was started in 1901), 13 Nebraska and Washington, and many European countries support a prison nursery 14 where inmates care for their newborns, yet fulfill their prison jobs as the 15 babies stay in daycare; and 16 WHEREAS, the recidivism rate of those mothers with a prison nursery pro- 17 gram is lower than other inmate mothers; and 18 WHEREAS, research states that a person, with one or more parents who have 19 been incarcerated, is five times more likely to go to prison; and 20 WHEREAS, it is the goal of the Idaho Legislature to stop the cycle of fam- 21 ily crime and recidivism; and 22 WHEREAS, babies of a female inmate may be more costly to the state of 23 Idaho outside of prison in other care than inside prison with their own 24 mother; and 25 WHEREAS, ten percent of Idaho women entering prison are pregnant. 26 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the members of the Second Regular Ses- 27 sion of the Fifty-sixth Idaho Legislature, the House of Representatives and 28 the Senate concurring therein, that the Board of Correction make a thorough 29 study of the female inmate/newborn baby dilemma and consider implementing 30 nursery and family reunification programs that allow babies to stay with their 31 mothers and other children to reunite with their mothers prior to release, 32 under rules adopted by the Board. 33 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Board of Correction shall, within the 34 first seven days of each legislative session, report to the Legislature on the 35 status of nursery and family reunification programs and the progress toward 36 implementing the policy stated herein.
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE RS 11487C1 The purpose of this resolution is to promote better care of our children born to female inmates and to reduce recidivism. As the Board of Corrections makes changes in the housing and treatment of female inmates, the resolution asks that the Board also study the female offender/newborn baby dilemma. FISCAL IMPACT There would be no additional expense to the Board of Corrections because staff already exists to make studies and reports. Contact Name: Representatives Donna Boe Phone: 332-1000 Representative Sher Seliman Phone: 332-1000 STATEMENT OF PURPOSE/FISCAL NOTE HCR 43