A Captive Audience: Preconceptional Risk Reduction Education in County Jails

Southern New Jersey Perinatal Cooperative (SNJPC) is licensed by the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services (NJDHSS) of New Jersey's six regional Maternal Child Health Consortia (MCHC). In 2002, NJDHSS initiated the Perinatal Addictions Prevention Project (PAPP), through the MCHC with a goal of implementing uniform screening in all public and private prenatal settings, statewide, along with providing public information and education about perinatal substance use. Based on estimates that drug related offences account for over 50% of incarcerations, SNJPC PAPP staff targeted this group of individuals to receive information about substance use, particularly during pregnancy. The county jails have welcomed the staff of SNJPC into their settings seeing it as an opportunity to both provide information to inmates and help the jails to comply with requirements that they coordinate with community agencies. The staff at SNJPC has found both the male and female population interested in this topic. The educational sessions open up discussion with the inmates about alcohol; tobacco and drug use while pregnant and clear up many misperceptions. Male populations are not typically targeted for this type of education, however research has shown that males have an impact on whether a pregnant women use substance while pregnant, so providing education to them is also beneficial to their partners. A pre/post survey has demonstrated an increase in knowledge of the inmates following the presentation.