Testimony of Jill Hiatt and Janet Dinsmore Concerning Addicted Mothers to the Hearing on Addicted Mothers of the U.S. House of Representatives Select Committee on Children, Youth and Families, May 17, 1990

• NCJ Number: 127456
• Author(s): J Hiatt; J Dinsmore
• Date Published: 1990
• Length: 5 pages
• Corporate Author: National District Atorneys Assoc; American Prosecutors Research Institute
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Legislative Hearing/Committee Report
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This analysis of approaches to addressing drug abuse by pregnant women recommends a cooperative response by criminal justice, medical, and social service professionals and women's and children's advocates.

Abstract

Many health and women's rights groups oppose punitive measures such as jail with no treatment and automatic loss of any children involved. However, the debate between these groups and those proposing punitive measures is wasting both energy and resources. Instead, understanding and cooperation are needed among the agencies involved. They must also discard the myths that treatment must be voluntary to be effective and that drug abusers would stop their substance abuse if treatment were available. Thus, they should recognize the need for coercion as well as support in many cases and should find ways to use the criminal justice system to address a problem that has not responded to other approaches. Therefore, diversion with treatment and probation that includes both prenatal care and drug treatment would be desirable approaches. A joint effort by the criminal justice system, social services, and women's rights groups is the only way to solve the problem.