The state is spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on feminine hygiene products for incarcerated women after a survey showed a good portion of the women behind bars were using homemade products.
In the past six years, U.S. state and federal prison systems historically focused on men have started paying more attention to the long-ignored hygiene needs of incarcerated women.
The Correctional Center Nursery Program would allow women who give birth while incarcerated the chance to stay with their newborns in prison for up to 18 months. Nurseries for incarcerated mothers are shown to reduce recidivism and have long-term benefits for babies.
A bill making its way through the Missouri legislature would allow women who give birth while incarcerated the chance to stay with their newborns in prison for up to 18 months.