Month: September 2022

A coalition of campaigners and health experts is calling for an urgent review into the sentencing of pregnant female offenders, warning of the increased risk of adverse outcomes to babies born in custody.

An open letter to Brandon Lewis, the justice secretary, and the Sentencing Council for England and Wales warns that pregnant women in jail suffer severe stress and highlights evidence suggesting they are more likely to have a stillbirth. The signatories include the Royal College of Midwives and Liberty.

The letter states: “Research into the experiences of pregnant women in English prisons found that [they] were unable to access basic comfort, adequate nutrition or fresh air, and that the fear of potential separation from their baby or shame of being made an incarcerated mother was debilitating.”

Women represent less than 5% of the total prison population, with about 3,200 in jail in England and Wales. The government

GREENWOOD — The Johnson County Health Department, Greenwood Police Department, Greenwood Fire Department, and the Greenwood Mayor conducted a multi-agency inspection effort Wednesday morning at the Red Carpet Inn and Fanta Suites.

Health inspectors found concerns regarding roaches, mold and plumbing back-ups in some rooms, according to Betsy Swearingen, Public Health Preparedness Coordinator at the Johnson County Health Department.

The health department will issue a letter to the hotel’s owner noting the violations and how to correct the issues.

Greenwood Police Chief James Ison said they located drug paraphernalia in two of the rooms and a small amount of marijuana in a third room.

Police officers also served a search warrant due to inspectors observing narcotics and firearms in plain view while conducting an inspection of an occupied room.

The inspection lasted two hours.

As the inspection began, the hotel’s owner asked WRTV to leave the property.

The city and

BIG NEWS — Future Pulse will publish five days a week, at 2 pm, starting Monday, Sept. 26. Our mission is expanding to cover all of the ideas reshaping health care. You’ll find analysis that takes you ahead of the curve, interviews with innovators and data-driven stories revealing what’s to come.

WHAT’S ON TAP — Congressional lawmakers of both parties have their sights set on extending the availability of telehealth. Democrats want to force debates on abortion and the creation of a national patient ID, both of which Republicans will oppose.

Representatives and senators are also intent on leaving the capital again in October to campaign, so they need to focus on must-pass government funding bills and the annual defense authorization measure.

They will have to hash out whether to provide funds to combat Covid-19 and monkeypox — the Biden administration has requested $27 billion — and to lift the

Grinding away at a job while everybody else sleeps can put your mental health at risk. According to new research, confining your dining to daytime hours might help reduce the odds of developing depression or anxiety.

When a normal internal body clock is disrupted, such as by being awake during typical sleeping hours, it can have a negative impact an individual’s mood and emotional well-being.

Studies suggest even after years spent on a roster of night shifts our body won’t fully adapt to the altered schedule. In fact, the negative effects appear to be worse the longer a biological clock is thwarted.

So how can we protect shift workers like nurses, security guards, and fire fighters – who make up to 30 percent of the global workforce – from poor mental health while still maintaining crucial around-the-clock services?

Melatonin and light therapies are already being investigated as solutions. Now