VANDALIA — Missouri’s first prison nursery program welcomed its first baby.
Dawson, born earlier this week at University Hospital in Columbia, is the first infant to join the new program at the Women’s Eastern Reception, Diagnostic and Correctional Center in Vandalia.
His mother, Dallas Strunk, said both she and Dawson are doing well.
Previously, pregnant inmates in Missouri were separated from their newborns soon after birth. Now, under the new program, eligible incarcerated mothers can care for and bond with their babies for up to 18 months.
According to the Missouri Department of Corrections, the women in the program will receive support in caring for their child, reentry services and learning opportunities geared toward reducing recidivism.
Nine other states — California, Illinois, Indiana, Nebraska, New York, Ohio, South Dakota, Washington and West Virginia — also have correctional nursery center programs.
