Miami, Apr 14 (EFE).- A Florida (USA) legislative project that would allow a pregnant woman convicted of a serious crime to postpone her entry into prison until 12 weeks after childbirth advances in the state Congress, while the state just prohibited by law abortion after six weeks of pregnancy.
If the “Ava’s Law” bill, introduced by Democratic legislators Dianne Hart and Angie Nixon, is approved, it would allow the judge to have the discretion to defer the imprisonment of a pregnant woman until 12 weeks after giving birth, according to a statement released this Sunday. Friday for the Florida Democratic Party.
In the event of a miscarriage, it adds, convicted women would also have 12 weeks to recover after the pregnancy ends.
“Ava’s Law” is based on the death of a girl that occurred in August 2021 in an Alachua County prison (north-central portion of Florida), a few hours after her premature birth.
According to the statement, the mother, Erica Thompson, had told jail staff that she was pregnant and was having labor. The baby, named Ava, was born 3 months early, she details.
In prison, Thompson asked for help, but, according to local media, “they didn’t take her seriously.”
“Basically I held my baby all night, until he died,” CBS 4News reported in the wake of the event.
The Alachua County Sheriff’s Office said Erica Thompson was arrested on felony probation violation and failure to appear on a traffic violation charge.
The state House Committee on Justice Appropriations recently voted 14-1 to push through this measure, also known as HB 779 legislation.
Only Republican Rep. Berny Jacques voted against the bill, according to Florida Politics.
“Children, regardless of their parents’ choices, deserve a fair chance to be in the care of their loved ones. I hope we can finally get bipartisan solidarity to help incarcerated mothers and their children grow up in a positive environment,” said Congresswoman Hart.
The bill also stipulates that once incarcerated, a licensed health care provider would offer the woman a postpartum evaluation.
This would include “the need for any necessary medical tests, procedures, lactation support, mental health support, or treatment associated with the mother’s postpartum condition,” the bill details.
“Both Florida legislators hope that with this bill a similar event will not happen again,” reads the statement from the Democratic Party.
The governor of Florida, Republican Ron DeSantis, has just signed the law that prohibits abortion in this state after six weeks, a rule that is among the most restrictive in the US and that, according to the Democratic opposition , makes it almost impossible to access this service.
The governor’s signature was given hours after this Thursday the vast Republican majority in the state House of Representatives approved, with 70 votes in favor and 40 against, the ban on abortion at 6 weeks, a measure that expands a previous law which restricted it to week 15.
