Panel advances bill allowing infants to reside with incarcerated mothers in new Heart River facility

Cheryl Thomas, women's services manager with the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, told the Senate Appropriations Human Resources Division that Senate Bill 2352 would authorize children to reside with their incarcerated mothers at the Heart River Correctional Centre for the first 18 months of the child's life. Thomas said the new women's facility being planned would include four apartments for that purpose and emphasized research showing early bonding supports child outcomes.

"We appreciate the opportunity," Thomas said in committee testimony. "We do feel at the DOCR this is a very important bill to ultimately maintain and foster that modeling and relationships and ultimately growing those stronger bonds between moms and babies." She told senators the judiciary committee had previously removed a section on liability and that policy and safety details would be developed in coordination with Department of Health and Human Services.

Thomas and other DOCR staff described operational details under consideration: a comprehensive application and screening process for mothers, caregiver staffing within the unit, expectations for mothers to participate in treatment and education, and normalization of parenting responsibilities. Thomas said the average length of stay in the women's population is about 18 months and that, in one recent year, the department recorded 13 births to women who passed through its facilities; the department used eight infants for its 18-month planning projection.

On finances, committee members noted the judiciary threshold for sending bills to appropriations (a $200,000 fiscal note) and that this bill carried a $100,000 fiscal note in the record. Thomas described the $100,000 as a preliminary placeholder for start-up items (diapers, supplies, furniture) and said she was seeking additional grant and donation opportunities; she said DOCR will pursue federal grants and partner agencies for items such as car seats and other necessities.

Committee members asked about long-term maintenance and who would pay for ongoing services. Thomas and senators said the Department of Health and Human Services would coordinate aspects related to family services and reunification; DOCR said the state would bear operating costs for the correctional facility and that many program expenses could be offset by lower foster-care costs and other public savings when mother and infant stay together.

Senators discussed timing and the evidence base: Thomas cited other states' programs (New York, Nebraska, Missouri) and said multiple states operate nursery programs; she said Missouri recently opened a facility and that several states report lower recidivism where mothers and infants remain together. The committee took a due-pass recommendation on SB 2352 and recorded a roll call; the motion carried unanimously in the hearing segment recorded.