Reproductive Justice Behind Bars

      Being a mother can be a wonderful thing for any woman however giving birth is a terrifying and painful experience that is usually catered to by doctors, epidermals, and a support system. Women in prison tend to only lack the element of a support system but there are rare cases when none of the three are present. On July 31, 2018, Diana Sanchez gave birth to her son in her jail cell, on an absorbent pad, without painkillers, medical staff, and completely alone. Her labor lasted 5 hours and was ignored by prison staff as they thought she was faking symptoms. Diana would later sue the city and county of Denver except after an internal investigation they found that the jail staff had done all that they could and that Diana was in the medical observation unit when she gave birth. Please watch the video above for a more detailed story of events as well as statistics that can be difficult to find elsewhere.

     Did you know that the United States has the second highest rate of imprisoning women coming in second to Thailand? This is concerning as most pregnancies that occur in prison are unexpected and unplanned. This is then followed by difficulties such as a lack of prenatal care, substance abuse, maternal trauma, and limited social support. The article " The Realities of Pregnancy and Mothering While Incarcerated ", gives a deep view into the hardships and needs of women who are pregnant in prison. These include breastfeeding, access to abortion, risks of incarcerated pregnancies, and more. There is also an extensive segment on what it's like for mothers to lose their children to the system. We highly encourage readers to go through this article if they want to learn more. https://jaapl.org/content/early/2020/05/13/JAAPL.003924-20

     Around a month ago this story about the horrific experience a woman had when giving birth in prison was released to the public. In the video, Joanna describes to the audience how she was cuffed during labor after being told that she specifically would not, and despite her cries to be let go the officers ignored her by laughing or making small talk amongst themselves. Even the government specifies that cuffs should only be used if there is a high risk of escape or if the inmate is a threat to the safety of others. This was not the only struggle Joanna faced as she was denied the ability to take care of herself and the baby at times. One of the scenarios given was when Joanna was seen by a midwife who told her that the baby's heart rate was too high because of how anxious she was so the midwife advised her to go on a walk to calm down. The officer she was cuffed to then refused this by stating that they were too tired to go for a walk. This is of course one example and...

    Bringing life into the world is a very delicate process that requires special attention and the utmost care. Women who are arrested and sentenced to time in prison often have a great deal of difficulty receiving the proper treatment they need for their pregnancy especially when they are in labor.  At the beginning of 2024, it was reported that there were over 180,000 women incarcerated across the nation. By the end of 2024, studies have indicated that anywhere between 5-10% of women were pregnant when they were imprisoned. This may seem like a small amount but this is still about 10,000 women, and it is said that 2,000 babies are born in prison every year. Many of these women may have had to have given birth in their cells alone some on their beds, or on the floor, there have even been cases of women giving birth in their cell toilets. https://www.prisonpolicy.org/reports/pie2024women.html https://www.macarthurjustice.org/blog2/pregnancy-in-prison/ 

     On February 14, 2025, a bill was proposed in Alabama to increase support for incarcerated pregnant women. There have been several instances where incarcerated women have not only been in danger themselves but the babies they are giving birth to as well. A 2016 study showed that over 100,000 women who were incarcerated were also pregnant and that number has only increased since then. Representative Rolanda Hollis has filed a bill to give pregnant women who are not a threat to society a probation period during their pregnancy and 12 weeks after birth. If the bill is passed this would be a major help to mothers who are imprisoned during their pregnancy.