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An Alabama mother has been incarcerate in order to protect her unborn infant from heroin addition.
The Alabama authorities took the controversial decision to incarcerate a 21-year-old woman, in an attempt to protect the unborn child from his mother’s heroin addiction. This is the woman’s second pregnancy, and the police officials thought it best to the woman to give birth in detention, as the child might also bear her mother’s heroin addiction.
Alexandra Laird, a 21-year-old woman from Alabama, was recently incarcerated by the authorities. The decision to place the woman under lock and key was controversial, as various news outlets reveal that the woman was pregnant.
However, the authorities declared via a press statement that this decision was taken in the interest of the unborn child, as his mother has a long history of opiates abuse. Court documents reveal that Alexandra Laird was formally charged in 2016 with child endangerment, after giving birth to a child addicted to heroin.
The woman was arrested in August 2016 after refusing to show up for her trial. Laird admitted using large amounts of heroin during her first pregnancy. After the woman had got arrested the second time, the authorities discovered that the woman was pregnant with the second child and that she continued to indulge in heroin.
The judges had no other choice but to incarcerate the young woman, in an attempt to protect her unborn child from the woman’s heroin addiction. During her imprisonment, the doctors treated her condition with Subutex.
Alexandra Laird gave birth to the child on Tuesday, and the infant was immediately rushed to the ICU, where the doctors are currently treating him for heroin withdrawal symptoms. As for his mother, the woman was scheduled to appear before the on the 13th of March, where she will again have to answer for child endangerment charges.
At this point, the woman’s fate remains unclear. Before giving birth, the authorities thought about transferring the woman to a detox facility, where she would receive further counsel and treatment for her heroin addiction.
However, they’ve decided that it’s in the infant’s best interest for his mother to remain in jail for the duration of the pregnancy. Lieutenant Danny Reid of Pleasant Grove Police declared for a local news outlet that this was the best course of action, taking into account the fact that Laird takes no step to protect her infant.
We will provide you with updates, should there be any more developments in this case.
Image source: Wikipedia
