CLEVELAND — A bill requiring Ohio jails and prisons to report the outcomes of pregnancies of women behind bars to the state’s Department of Corrections took another step forward Tuesday during testimony before the House Government Oversight Committee.
“As of now, we do not have a clear understanding of what happens to pregnant inmates in Ohio jails,” said OH Rep. Josh Williams, a Republican from Sylvania Township near Toledo who co-sponsored House Bill 542.
The bill was introduced after a joint News 5-Marshall Project–Cleveland investigation last May revealed the lack of reporting requirements for Ohio jails.
RELATED: Ohio lawmaker wants to require jails to report pregnancy outcomes
Currently, jails are required to report to the state if a person dies behind bars, but there’s no requirement to report if an incarcerated woman loses her pregnancy.
Experts have argued that without reporting, it’s nearly impossible to understand the scope of the issue.
“That would be like sealing up a box and saying, ‘what’s inside this box’ without any opportunity to look inside,” said Dr. Michael Baldonieri, an OBGYN with Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine.
Supporters of the bill believe collecting data on pregnancy outcomes is the first step to improving healthcare for women who are locked up.
“So that we may understand if we are failing to provide adequate prenatal care to Ohio’s incarcerated population,” said OH Rep. Terrence Upchurch, a Democrat from Cleveland who co-sponsored the bill.
HB 542 now awaits a second hearing before the committee.
The President and CEO of Pregnant with Possibilities Resource Center, a Cuyahoga County non-profit working to improve maternal and infant health outcomes, called the bill a step in the right direction.
“To truly improve these outcomes, we must have complete and transparent data, including pregnancies in jails, so we understand what is happening to all women,” said Veranda Rodgers in a statement. “If we are serious about improving maternal and infant health in Ohio, every pregnancy must be counted, every outcome measured, and every woman, regardless of circumstance, must be included.”
Baldonieri said he’s encouraged that lawmakers are discussing the proposal and is optimistic that change could be on the way.
“For too long, a lot of this has been happening in the dark, and it’s time to start shedding a light on that,” said Baldonieri. “And this is a welcomed but very overdue step in that direction.”
