It was a legal move by the American government in the mid-19th century, to auction off babies birthed in penitentiaries by African American parents.
This particularly happened in Louisiana, where black women shared cells with male prisoners. The women often get pregnant from intercourse with male inmates.
The law stated that babies coming from such unions would be declared property of the state if their parents were serving life sentences.
The imprisoned mothers will raise the children til they are 10, then the penitentiary will send out advertisements to newspapers, and they will be auctioned off to willing buyers on a “cash on delivery” pattern.
(Source: American Prison: A Reporter’s Undercover Journey into the Business of Punishment by Shane Bauer)
