Behind Bars: Pregnant Inmates and the Challenges of Care

1391 Words3 Pages

As a woman, the experience of pregnancy and preparing to bring a new life into this world is, in general, an incredibly exciting time, unless of course, you are one of thousands of women incarcerated in the United States, serving prison time for felony convictions. While most expectant mothers are planning for baby showers, shopping for maternity clothes and preparing the baby’s nursery, the incarcerated mother-to-be has to remain in a constant state of alertness and preparedness for situations that can put her and her unborn baby at risk, in an environment that is both intimidating and routinely violent. (Hutchinson et. al., 2008) In 2012, the total number of inmates incarcerated in the state and federal correctional system for was 1,571,013, of which 108,866 of those inmates were females. In the last two decades, until 2009, women were the fastest growing population within the state and federal correctional institutions. Since 2009, the number of inmates incarcerated in state and federal correctional facilities has slowly declined mainly due to public policy changes in both state and federal laws. California accounted for fifty one percent of the decrease in the overall population due to the Public Safety Realignment policy that mandated a decrease in the inmate population to alleviate overcrowding; this led to a 25.5 percent decrease in the female population in California alone. (Carson & Golinelli, 2013) Although the actual number of pregnant women incarcerated in the United States is somewhat unclear, it is estimated that six to ten percent of the females sentenced to prison are pregnant when incarcerated. (Guerino et.al., 2011) The majority of female inmates that are sentenced to prison after felony convictions are s... ... middle of paper ... ..., G. A., Propper, C. B., & Mariaskin, A. (2008). Incarcerated Women’s Psychological Functioning During Pregnancy. Psychology Of Women Quarterly, 32(4), 440-453. doi:10.1111/j.1471-6402.2008.00457.x International Business Times, (2012, November 21). In Virginia, Pregnant Prisoners Will No Longer Be Shackled During Childbirth. International Business Times. Pregnant and Imprisoned in the United States. (2000). Birth: Issues in Perinatal Care, 27(4), 266- 271. Roth, R. (2010). Obstructing Justice; Prisons as Barriers to Medical Care for Pregnant Women. UCLA Women's Law Journal, 18(1), 79-105. Shackling Incarcerated Pregnant Women. (2011). Nursing for Women's Health, 15(6), 549-550. doi:10.1111/j.1751-486X.2011.01691.x Siefert, K., & Pimlott, S. (2001). Improving Pregnancy Outcome during Imprisonment: A Model Residential Care Program. Social Work, 46(2), 125-134.

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