Minnesota becomes first state to stop separating incarcerated moms from newborns Although the details are still being ironed out, Minnesota will allow both mother and child to be placed in a community-based program for up to a year. Loading the player... The United States has more people in jail or prison than any other country in the world. Yet, as the calls for prison reform becomes louder with each passing year – the state of Minnesota has taken a historic step to protect pregnant inmates and their newborns from being separated right after childbirth. Also Read: But according to , a doula in the Minnesota prison system named