In a shocking turn of events, the founder of a North Texas adoption agency has been arrested on allegations of paying pregnant female inmates in Tarrant County Jail to put their unborn babies up for adoption. This heinous act has raised concerns about the ethics of adoption agencies and their practices. It is yet to be seen how this arrest will impact the future of adoption services in the state.
Last week, the leader of Adoptions International Inc. was taken into custody in Central Texas and posted a $50,000 bond.
Jody Hall, the founder of a licensed nonprofit adoption agency, is also an accomplished attorney.
The Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office initiated an investigation into Hall’s alleged unethical adoption practices in May.
The sheriff’s office stated that they discovered Jody Hall was providing money to several pregnant inmates in Tarrant County. The purpose of this monetary exchange was to have their unborn children put up for adoption through Hall’s agency.
In Kyle, Texas, two months later, Hall was served arrest warrants by sheriff’s detectives at her residence.
The U.S. State Department took action in 2019 and revoked Adoptions International’s accreditation due to their failure to maintain the required standards. As a result, the agency is no longer authorized to participate in international adoptions.
In Texas, selling or purchasing a child is considered a felony crime.
At the moment, it is uncertain if any prisoners in the Tarrant County detention center received any money or offered their infants for adoption.
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