Los Angeles County Jails Launch Lactation Program For Female Inmates
LYNWOOD (CBSLA.com) — A Valentine's Day baby will be the first to benefit from a pilot lactation program for imprisoned women in the Los Angeles County jail system.
Keymoreah Chorm, 19, who is serving time for identity theft, gave birth to a baby boy on Valentine's Day and will participate in the county's first-ever jail lactation program, Los Angeles County Sheriff's spokeswoman Nicole Nishida said.
The new program is launching first at the sheriff's Century Regional Detention Facility in Lynwood. When an incarcerated pregnant woman delivers her child, Nishida says she is given the opportunity to lactate and continue providing their breast milk to their newborn child, either by breastfeeding directly or with a provided breast pump.
For mothers pumping milk, the program allows family members to pick up the milk and deliver it to the newborn. The child's caregiver is required to pick up the breast milk on a daily basis and is given instructions on handling, thawing and warming of frozen milk, according to Nishida.
The program was a joint effort by the sheriff's department and the American Civil Liberties Union.
