“The Criminalization of Bad Mothers”

“There is anecdotal evidence to suggest that pregnant women in Alabama, aware that they may be arrested and their medical records subpoenaed if they or their babies test positive for drugs, may be changing their behavior — although not necessarily as some prosecutors hoped. Carmen Howell, a defense lawyer in Enterprise, says she knows of one woman who drove to Georgia when she went into labor and another who gave birth to a three-pound baby in a bathtub at home.”
 — This weekend’s heartwrenching New York Times Magazine piece on chemical-endangerment laws — meant to discourage pregnant women from using controlled substances — is a real roller-coaster ride that’ll leave you feeling, at the very least, confused. Or is it conflicted? See!