2002 Legislation
Print Friendly

HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 43 – Female inmates/babies born/welfare

HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 43

View Daily Data Tracking History

View Bill Text

View Statement of Purpose / Fiscal Impact



Text to be added within a bill has been marked with Bold and
Underline. Text to be removed has been marked with
Strikethrough and Italic. How these codes are actually displayed will
vary based on the browser software you are using.

This sentence is marked with bold and underline to show added text.

This sentence is marked with strikethrough and italic, indicating
text to be removed.

Daily Data Tracking History



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

Bill Text


                                                                        
                                                                        
  ||||              LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF IDAHO             ||||
 Fifty-sixth Legislature                  Second Regular Session - 2002
                                                                        
                                                                        
                              IN 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 / Fiscal Impact



                       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