Pregnancy in Prison

Abstract

It is thought that approximately 400–600 women at various stages of pregnancy are incarcerated each year and around 100 babies are born to women in prison every year. Pregnant women may have complex physical and mental health needs which require expert, individualised care. My qualitative research looked at the experience of being a pregnant woman in the English prison system (Abbott, The incarcerated pregnancy: An ethnographic study of perinatal women in English prisons. University of Hertfordshire, 2018). Through interviews with pregnant women, staff and extensive time in the field observing prison life, analysis has uncovered common themes such as: stigma, survival and resilience. Some women went to some lengths to navigate the masculine system of prison in order to access resources (food and exercise) by being a “role model prisoner” and finding strategies of resistance. Women have to navigate the prison system in order to access resources such as: the right kinds of nutrition and ways to avoid stress. They may find strategies of resistance and resilience in order to survive and for some women, being in prison helps to facilitate change. Some women have reported finding that being in prison was the thing that enforced this resistance, tenacity and capacity for change, if a woman gains the right kind of support. The focus of the chapter concentrates on some of the findings of the current research, specifically: equivalence of health care; nutritional well-being; basic provisions (or lack of); changes in identity, and compassion and support for pregnant women in prison and embeds anonymised quotes from research participants to highlight their experiences. The chapter also describes how prison can be a safe haven for some women and introduces the concept of pregnancy itself being a unique ‘turning point’ for desistance and health.