The Breach – Rewire News Group

Season Four of the The Breach explores one central question: What happens when drug use during pregnancy becomes a felony?

Throughout Season Four of The Breach, we’ve explored the racial and political agendas behind the push to treat substance use by pregnant people as a crime rather than a health issue. We broke the news of law 240-D in Fort Peck, Montana, the harshest law of this kind found to date. We met Reneé, a woman jailed under 240-D. We’ve examined the ongoing challenges facing tribal governments as they grapple with high rates of substance use. And we’ve delved into the myths and contradictions of the drug court model in which Reneé and others can find themselves trapped.

In our final episode of the season, we take you to the Blackfeet reservation in northwest Montana for a glimpse at a compassionate alternative to criminalization.

This is Episode Four. Click here for the full series.

Transcript (PDF)

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Throughout Season Four of The Breach, we've explored the racial and political agendas behind the push to treat substance use by pregnant people as a crime rather than a health issue. We broke the news of law 240-D in Fort Peck, Montana, the harshest law of this kind found to date. We met Reneé, a woman jailed under 240-D. We've examined the ongoing challenges facing tribal governments as they grapple with high rates of substance use. And we've delved into the myths and contradictions of the drug court model in which Reneé and others can find themselves trapped.

In our final episode of the season, we take you to the Blackfeet reservation in northwest Montana for a glimpse at a compassionate alternative to criminalization.

Season Four of the The Breach explores one central question: What happens when drug use during pregnancy becomes a felony?

In our last episode, we met Reneé, a woman jailed under 240-D, a unique law in Fort Peck, Montana, that criminalizes substance use during pregnancy. As part of her sentence, Reneé was required to participate in a special court in the Fort Peck justice system known as Healing to Wellness Court.

This is the tribal system’s version of a drug court, which is often billed as a more humane solution to drug-related crime. Today there are more than 3100 drug courts operating in the United States, including more than 70 Healing to Wellness Courts. But beneath the assurances of compassion and the glossy data suggesting success lurk very real concerns about the effectiveness of this system.

In this episode, host Lindsay Beyerstein speaks with drug court expert Denise Tomasini-Joshi. Together, they unpack the reality behind these band-aid courts and reveal how a seemingly humane solution falls short in practice.

This is Episode Four. Click here for the full series.

Transcript (PDF)

Credits:

Source

Season Four of the The Breach explores one central question: What happens when drug use during pregnancy becomes a felony?

In our last episode, we met Reneé, a woman jailed under 240-D, a unique law in Fort Peck, Montana, that criminalizes substance use during pregnancy. As part of her sentence, Reneé was required to participate in a special court in the Fort Peck justice system known as Healing to Wellness Court.

This is the tribal system’s version of a drug court, which is often billed as a more humane solution to drug-related crime. Today there are more than 3100 drug courts operating in the United States, including more than 70 Healing to Wellness Courts. But beneath the assurances of compassion and the glossy data suggesting success lurk very real concerns about the effectiveness of this system.

In this episode, host Lindsay Beyerstein speaks with drug court expert Denise Tomasini-Joshi. Together, they unpack the reality behind these band-aid courts and reveal how a seemingly humane solution falls short in practice.

When Montana county prosecutor Jay Harris announced he was going to seek protective orders for fetuses against pregnant people who use drugs or alcohol, it made international news. So why doesn’t anybody know that more than a dozen Native women have been criminally charged for the same behavior just a few hours away?

Join host Lindsay Beyerstein for for a completely new investigative season of The Breach that explores one central question: what happens when drug use during pregnancy becomes a felony? Hear from experts, locals, officials, and a woman from the jail in which she was held under a law that few people even knew existed—until now.

This is Episode Three. Click here for the full series.

Transcript (PDF)

Credits:

Source

When Montana county prosecutor Jay Harris announced he was going to seek protective orders for fetuses against pregnant people who use drugs or alcohol, it made international news. So why doesn’t anybody know that more than a dozen Native women have been criminally charged for the same behavior just a few hours away?

Join host Lindsay Beyerstein for for a completely new investigative season of The Breach that explores one central question: what happens when drug use during pregnancy becomes a felony? Hear from experts, locals, officials, and a woman from the jail in which she was held under a law that few people even knew existed—until now.

This is Episode Two. Click here for the full series.

Transcript (PDF)

Credits:

Source

When Montana county prosecutor Jay Harris announced he was going to seek protective orders for fetuses against pregnant people who use drugs or alcohol, it made international news. So why doesn’t anybody know that more than a dozen Native women have been criminally charged for the same behavior just a few hours away?

Join host Lindsay Beyerstein for a completely new investigative season of The Breach exploring one central question: What happens when drug use during pregnancy becomes a felony? Hear from experts, locals, officials, and a woman from the jail in which she was held under a law that few people even knew existed—until now.

This is Episode One. Click here for the full series.

Transcript (PDF)

Credits:

Source

Part 3 of 3–all 3 parts available now.

When Montana county prosecutor Jay Harris announced he was going to seek protective orders for fetuses against pregnant people who use drugs or alcohol, it made international news. So why doesn’t anybody know that more than a dozen Native women have been criminally charged for the same behavior just a few hours away?

Join host Lindsay Beyerstein for a completely new investigative season of The Breach exploring one central question: What happens when drug use during pregnancy becomes a felony? Hear from experts, locals, officials, and a woman from the jail in which she was held under a law that few people even knew existed—until now.

Part 2 of 3–all 3 parts available now.

When Montana county prosecutor Jay Harris announced he was going to seek protective orders for fetuses against pregnant people who use drugs or alcohol, it made international news. So why doesn’t anybody know that more than a dozen Native women have been criminally charged for the same behavior just a few hours away?

Join host Lindsay Beyerstein for a completely new investigative season of The Breach exploring one central question: What happens when drug use during pregnancy becomes a felony? Hear from experts, locals, officials, and a woman from the jail in which she was held under a law that few people even knew existed—until now.

Part 1 of 3–all 3 parts available now.

When Montana county prosecutor Jay Harris announced he was going to seek protective orders for fetuses against pregnant people who use drugs or alcohol, it made international news. So why doesn’t anybody know that more than a dozen Native women have been criminally charged for the same behavior just a few hours away?

Join host Lindsay Beyerstein for a completely new investigative season of The Breach exploring one central question: What happens when drug use during pregnancy becomes a felony? Hear from experts, locals, officials, and a woman from the jail in which she was held under a law that few people even knew existed—until now.