Pregnant and Incarcerated

PREGNANT AND INCARCERATED

Introduction: Recognizing that pregnant and incarcerated minors in Los Angeles County's (LAC) juvenile detention facilities are the highest risk mothers in our County, a Liaison Public Health Nurse (LPHN) in Prenatal Care Guidance Program is assigned specifically to the admitting Juvenile Halls to facilitate healthy pregnancies and reduce subsequent pregnancies. Many incarcerated minors have family histories of abuse, neglect, violence and drug abuse, and are at extremely high risk for poor birth outcomes, including disrupted bonding, transmission of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) to their newborns, and poor parenting skills. The LPHN focuses on reducing risk to these detained juveniles and their unborn children.

Plan and Implementation: The LPHN from the LAC Department of Public Health (DPH) partnered with the Department of Probation to work within the juvenile detention facilities to identify and assess detained pregnant juveniles, and refer them to community support resources upon discharge. The LPHN identifies key stakeholders, navigates within the fragmented detention system, and locates pregnant juveniles within six separate juvenile detention facilities. In addition, the LPHN assesses each pregnant minor and provides intervention, education and linkages to community based prenatal care, case management, and parenting resources.

Evaluation: A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed between DPH and Probation services to facilitate a team approach. Since the Program began in 2005, the LPHN has identified 365 pregnant minors, assessed 68% (250) of those pregnant minors and referred 50% (126) of them to case management programs upon discharge.