Should Pregnant Addicts Go to Jail?

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Tennessee officials have declared Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome an "epidemic" and took action this past July with the implementation of Public Chapter 820. The law makes it possible for a woman to be charged with assault for the use of a narcotic drug while pregnant if her child is born harmed by the drug. An assault conviction is punishable by a fine and anywhere from one to 15 years in prison. So far, around 9 women have been charged under this law. The law has been controversial, with opponents saying it's counter-productive to put a drug-addicted mother behind bars. From Reason's April 2015 issue, Amanda Winkler asks, should pregnant addicts go to jail?