A Massachusetts bill would require mothers charged with crimes to be evaluated for postpartum psychosis and other mental health disorders, making Massachusetts one of the only states to place such protections into law. The bill would affect defendants who’ve given birth in the past year as well as mothers previously sentenced. Defendants would receive psychiatric evaluations that could also be used in their defense in court, and mothers already serving time could petition a judge for resentencing if their postpartum mental health hadn’t been considered.
Postpartum Psychosis and Its Impact
According to Dr. Lee Cohen, who leads the women’s mental health center at Massachusetts General Hospital, postpartum psychosis is perhaps the most severe form of postpartum psychiatric disorders, involving symptoms such as paranoia, delusional thinking, and hallucinations. While rare—occurring one to two times per every 1,000 live births—postpartum psychosis greatly impacts affected families. Cohen testified that “new moms lose touch with reality, placing themselves and their children at risk.”
Women who experienced postpartum psychosis testified that they had not been themselves during the episode. One woman described feeling like “a marionette being pulled by her strings,” while another patient said “her mind got lost in the wilderness.” Meghan Cliffel recounted that after giving birth, she experienced postpartum psychosis and believed a cult was trying to harm her two young daughters. Upon recovery, her husband expressed fear about future pregnancies, asking, “What if you kill the kids this time?”
Addressing Disparities and Current State Policy
Black and Hispanic women are much more likely to experience severe complications around pregnancy and postpartum periods. Crystal Jaramillo, who experienced psychiatric complications after childbirth, testified that as a Black Latina—“a person three times more likely to experience perinatal and postpartum mortality than the general population”—she felt fortunate she wasn’t incarcerated. “The last thing our family needed was for me to be criminally involved,” she said. “I needed care and compassion.”
The bill follows a Massachusetts maternal health law from the prior year that expands screenings and mental health resources for pregnant and postpartum people. Illinois is currently the only state with a similar policy, which became law in 2018. According to Susan Feingold, a clinical psychologist in Illinois who pushed for the law, approximately 20 people currently incarcerated in Illinois have petitioned for re-sentencing under that provision.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://www.wgbh.org/news/health/2025-10-22/new-mothers-charged-with-crimes-would-get-mental-health-screenings-treatments-under-bill