Prenatal classes taught to pregnant inmates at Tarrant County jail

Gala Stafford begins her baby basics class with a message: “No question is dumb.”

Her statement put smiles on some of her students.

The students — 11 women inmates at the Tarrant County Corrections Center — are either pregnant or recently delivered babies. Every Wednesday, they meet in a small classroom and are given an opportunity to learn about raising healthy babies and taking better care of their own health.

“I am trying to move forward and be a better person,” said Laura McBeain, 24, who is about six weeks pregnant, and was recently held in the jail for 32 days for violation of a protective order. Court records indicate she was released Thursday.

The women are different ages and all entered the jail pregnant. Several have already had babies. Some have been convicted and are waiting to serve time in a state jail facility while others are waiting to make bail, have trials scheduled or are hoping to get “a break” in cases.

Their cases cover an array of charges, from possession of a controlled substance to arson to capital murder.

Stafford said she looks past their tan jail uniforms and sees mothers who are trying to make life changes.

“A lot of people don’t see them as important and that’s not right,” Stafford said after a recent class. “They can’t imagine that they are in jail and are pregnant.”

There are 22 pregnant inmates in the Tarrant County’s jail in downtown Fort Worth. The number of pregnant inmates fluctuate, but it is consistently in the 20s, according to health and jails officials.

“We understand that all people in our jail — the vast majority — are going to live amongst us again,” said Tarrant County Sheriff Dee Anderson.

Delivering healthier babies

Women who are incarcerated during pregnancy are at higher risk of low birth weight and preterm birth, said Paul Celestin, director of correctional health at JPS Health Network, which conducts the classes.

Organizers of the program say this effort aims to help drop the infant mortality rate in Tarrant County — which is slightly higher than the national average. Nationwide, the infant mortality rate is 5.96 infant deaths per 1,000 live births, according to 2013 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In Tarrant County, the rate was 7.1 infant deaths per 1,000 live births in 2013, according to state figures.

Improving the infant mortality rate among local minority populations is critical, said Amanda English, manager for community outreach at JPS Health Network.

“We are one of the worst in the nation — especially for our African American population,” English said.

The Tarrant County rate is 14.3 infant deaths per 1,000 live births for African Americans and 7.9 infant deaths per 1,000 live births for Hispanics, English said, citing 2011 numbers.

“We want healthy babies,” Stafford said.

The prenatal classes build on other existing programs offered to inmates, officials said.

The jail offers parenting classes for fathers through a fatherhood initiative and inmates also have access to GED, English as a Second Language and faith-based programs for the estimated 3,500 inmates at the jail, he said.

JPS health officials see the potential for more classes, including those that would educate people to manage chronic diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease.

“Our hope is this class will lead to future opportunities for jail inmates who have chronic diseases needing management,” said J.R. Labbe, vice president of communications/community affairs at JPS Health Network.

‘My mission is done’

Every Wednesday, the one-hour voluntary, prenatal classes offer education needed to make some lifestyle changes, said Celestin. Topics covered in the eight-session course include, healthy eating, baby care basics/safety, breast care after delivers, tobacco cessation and healthy relationships.

“We are doing something for them,” Celestin said.

Health educators said the women express a lot of different emotions and often ask: “What is going to happen with my baby?”

Typically, pregnant inmates receive prenatal care through visits by an obstetrician with JPS. If the women go into labor while in custody, they deliver at John Peter Smith Hospital, Celestin said. In cases involving a mother who goes back to jail, the baby doesn’t return to the jail with the mother. Often, family members end up caring for the child, he said.

That’s the situation inmate Erica Hernandez, 25, is experiencing.

Hernandez, who is in jail awaiting trial on intoxication assault and serious bodily injury, delivered her baby, Reyna, on Jan. 6. Her baby is being cared for by her family while she is behind bars.

“I came to all the classes,” Hernandez said. “I was here the whole time I was pregnant.”

While Reyna is her fourth child, the classes helped teach her some new prenatal lessons — for example, limiting fish while expecting a baby because of potential mercury levels.

“Everything you do affects the baby,” Hernandez said.

But in other cases, a mother might be released while still pregnant and healthcare and jail officials hope they will continue seeking prenatal care outside the jail.

Celestin said that the hope is that the pregnant inmates will continue seeking prenatal care after getting released.

During Stafford’s recent lesson, students listened attentively as they thumbed through a packet of information that covers how to properly install a car seat and how to safely bathe an infant. They asked questions about immunizations, a baby’s heart development and proper bathing techniques.

Stafford knew the class was a success because students promised to come back.

One student said, “I’ll see you later, Gala,” prompting the teacher to smile.

“She is going to see me later,” Stafford said. “My mission is done.”

Staff writer Mitch Mitchell contributed to this report.

This story was originally published February 2, 2016 at 6:09 PM with the headline "Prenatal classes taught to pregnant inmates at Tarrant County jail."