PIP: Darlene Johnson, a 28-year-old unwed welfare mother from Visalia, California, was found guilty in January 1991 of beating 2 of her 4 children with a belt and an electric cord while she was pregnant with her 5th child. In addition to a 1-year sentence in a county jail she was ordered to receive the Norplant contraceptive implant or spend 4 years in federal prison. She agreed to the procedure, however, a few days later she changed her mind, and with the help of the American Civil Liberties Union she appealed the decision, arguing that the court was depriving her of a fundamental right and providing a frightening prospect for the country. The case is the most prominent in the controversy about how to prevent low-income teenagers, "crack" cocaine smokers, convicted criminals, and welfare mothers from having children. Legislation was introduced in Kansas providing free Norplant to women on welfare and a $500 cash incentive. In Kansas the cost of treating a baby born to a crack-addicted mother costs about $48,000 in the 1st year, and the annual cost of caring for cocaine-exposed babies amounts to $500 million. Critics charge that forcing contraception on women turns the government into caretakers of women's bodies. However, the rising number of crack babies, child abuse cases, and skyrocketing welfare numbers have convinced politicians and the public about the suitability of this approach. In May 1991 a Los Angeles Times poll showed that 46% of respondents strongly approved of making Norplant mandatory for drug-abusing women. In Denver, Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains has been using $50,000 in private donations to provide free Norplant to teenage girls from drug rehabilitation centers. In Seattle, where 50 disabled crack babies were cared for in 1990, 3 housewives formed a group to lobby for mandatory Norplant for drug-addicted mothers. If the California court ruling is upheld, Norplant debates are expected to continue as more states enact mandatory birth control.