Monday, March 22, 1999

Dad gets OK to be at prison birth

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Taft sides with man against policy

BY TOM O'NEILL
The Cincinnati Enquirer

        A baby girl will be born in prison very soon, and she will look up and see her father.

        At the request of Ohio Gov. Bob Taft, state prison officials announced Sunday that Sean Turner of Mariemont may attend the birth of his first child.

        The baby's mother, Barbara Ann Turner, is an inmate at the Franklin Pre-Release Center in Columbus, serving a 2¹/₂-year sentence for prescription drug offenses. The baby was due last week.

        Mr. Turner will get custody of the baby, which Mr. Taft said was a factor in his decision.

        Mr. Turner's dilemma, featured in Friday's Cincinnati Enquirer, was that the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction doesn't allow fathers — or any family members — at prison births, due to security concerns. Ninety-two incarcerated women gave birth last year, and about 900 in the past nine years.

        The Mariemont man's request was unusual, though prison officials said they were unsure how many such requests have been made.

        Mr. Turner, 29, was home at 10:30 p.m. Saturday night when attorney Scott Greenwood called to inform him of prison officials' decision.

        “I was really surprised,” Mr. Turner said Sunday on his cellular phone as he traveled between Columbus and the Cincinnati area. “I figured it wouldn't happen that quick, that it was more a fight after the fact.”

        Instead, Mr. Turner planned to spend Sunday night in Columbus, so that he could get to the facility on short notice. The birth wasn't imminent, but Mr. Turner was taking no chances.

        “This father has shown a sincere desire to be a participatory parent and accept the responsibilities of fatherhood,” Mr. Taft said. “When we have a chance to keep a family together, I feel we have a responsibility to encourage the strengthening of that family bond and the nurturing of those family ties.”

        Mr. Taft also asked DRC officials to reconsider the policy on births.

       

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