Reporting by AL.com on Alabama’s criminalization of mothers whose babies test positive for drugs in their systems has been named a finalist in the Online News Association’s 2023 awards in the investigative reporting category.

The 2022 story, reported by AL.com’s Amy Yurkanin, in partnership with the Marshall Project and The Frontier in Oklahoma, and appearing in The Washington Post, revealed that more than 50 women had been prosecuted for child neglect or manslaughter in the United States since 1999 because they tested positive for drug use after a miscarriage or stillbirth.

“This work shined a light on what was already happening in our state, moving the public discourse from speculation to the current facts,” said Kelly Ann Scott, vice president of content for AL.com. “We’re honored to be recognized as part of this collaboration. And we’re proud of the impact this work has had in our state.”

Yurkanin also highlighted the case of an Auburn woman serving 18 years in prison after a stillbirth, despite the medical examiner testifying that he could not conclude whether drug use caused the stillbirth.

In 2013, the Alabama Supreme Court ruled women could be criminally prosecuted if their babies were born with traces of drugs in their systems, and that a woman’s womb could be considered the equivalent of a meth lab for the sake of deciding criminal charges.

Yurkanin’s continued reporting on chemical endangerment in 2022 resulted in pregnant women and new mothers being released from Etowah County Jail who were being held for extended periods following charges of chemical endangerment.

AL.com is one of 194 finalists for the ONA awards, which honor digital journalism from around the world. Finalists were chosen from over 1,500 entries. Winners will be announced in August.