Partnership Between a Health System and a Correctional Center to Normalize Birth for Incarcerated Women

Women of childbearing age make up a growing segment of the prison population; many are pregnant while incarcerated. The care this population has received during pregnancy often has been characterized by inattention to nutritional needs, failure to provide for safe sleeping in lower bunks, and lack of childbirth education. These women may be unprepared for childbirth and the early postpartum period. To improve care for these women, staff from a health system and a correctional center collaborated to develop an infrastructure that offered supportive care to incarcerated childbearing women in their community. Organizational policies and processes were aligned to promote a normal birth and early postpartum experience for incarcerated women and provide them with opportunities to bond with their newborns. Family-centered care offers incarcerated women the opportunity to be mothers rather than simply prisoners giving birth.