Prison nurseries: Experiences of incarcerated women during pregnancy

Corrections officers’ knowledge and perspectives of maternal and child health policies and programs for pregnant women in prison

“…We do not know how commonly held this perception is among COs at the prison who did not participate in an interview, but past research has documented similar perceptions by COs and medical security staff in other carceral facilities (Sufrin 2017). Yet, past research with women who have given birth while incarcerated suggests that women do not share the same positive perceptions, reporting that the prenatal care they received was of low quality, being restrained was dehumanizing, and separation from their infants after birth was a traumatic experience (Fritz and Whiteacre 2016;Schroeder and Bell 2005a, b;Williams and Schulte-day 2006;Wismont 2000). Additionally, research with prison administrators and national reviews of prison policies suggests that the majority of prisons are not meeting the prenatal and postnatal needs of pregnant women (Kelsey et al 2017;Ferszt and Clarke 2012;Shlafer et al 2019).…”

“…Women are typically transported by two COs to a local community hospital to receive prenatal care during the later stages of pregnancy and to give birth. Women at the prison are not allowed to have family members or friends present during the labor and delivery, and are not allowed contact with visitors throughout their hospital stay, similar to other facilities in the U.S. (Fritz and Whiteacre 2016;Shlafer et al 2014).…”

“…For example, in some Minnesota jails and prisons, the Minnesota Prison Doula Project (MnPDP) provides weekly parenting classes and one-on-one doula support to incarcerated women [for more information on the MnPDP see (Shlafer et al 2014)]. In many prison systems, including Minnesota, women in labor are not allowed to have family members or friends attend the birth (Fritz and Whiteacre 2016;Mason 2013). As a person "trained and experienced in childbirth who provides continuous physical, emotional, and informational support to the mother before, during and just after the birth," doulas provide in-person support that pregnant women in prison cannot receive from family members or friends during labor and delivery (Doula Organization of North America 2017).…”

“…There are numerous stakeholders in successful implementation of MCH policies and programs in carceral settings, including prison administrators, health services staff, corrections officers (COs), community-based organizations, and incarcerated pregnant women. Previous research has examined the knowledge and perceptions that some of these key stakeholders have of MCH policies and programs for pregnant women in prison (Campbell and Carlson 2012;Ferszt and Clarke 2012;Fritz and Whiteacre 2016;Schroeder and Bell 2005a, b;Shlafer et al 2014;Williams and Schulte-day 2006;Wismont 2000). However, the majority of this research has been with health care providers, particularly nurses (Ferszt et al 2013;Goshin et al 2019;Zust et al 2013), and other key stakeholders have been considered less often.…”

Pregnancy and childbirth in English prisons: institutional ignominy and the pains of imprisonment

“…Much of the literature has relied on scoping exercises and views of prison staff, rather than those with lived experience (Albertson et al 2012, Edge 2006, O'Keefe and Dixon 2015, Price 2005. Fritz and Whiteacre (2016) found that the healthcare needs of incarcerated pregnant women were often left unmet, with negative experiences of antenatal care, intensified by the loss of control over their pregnancies. The literature reveals women's accounts of connectedness with their unborn baby (Chambers 2009, Wismont 2000 and anticipatory grief when pre-empting separation, compounded when separation actually occurs (Gardiner et al 2016, Schroeder andBell 2005).…”