Hospitals across the U.S. routinely drug test patients when they give birth, often using urine screens that are easy to misinterpret and have a high rate of false positives. The Marshall Project previously examined how these policies have led to women and families getting reported to child welfare services, investigated and forcibly separated.
In our latest investigation, we discovered that child welfare authorities often forward these reports on to law enforcement. More than 70,000 cases in 21 states were reported to police or prosecutors during a six-year period, according to state and federal data obtained and published for the first time by The Marshall Project.
Many of these women tested positive due to legal CBD products, common foods and medications, and even the fentanyl from their epidurals. As a result, women have been interrogated shortly after childbirth, separated from their newborns, arrested and criminally prosecuted.
To get you started, here is a primer with key takeaways from The Marshall Project’s extensive reporting on drug use investigations for pregnant people. Journalists and researchers are welcome to request a consultation to discuss how to use the resources in this toolkit.
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here