Pregnant and Postpartum Women in Prison: Experiences of Social Ties Within the Total Institution

Abstract

ABSTRACT Women who are pregnant and postpartum in prison must deal with their incarceration along with the immense stress of having given birth while inside a total institution. Total institutions can strip individuals of who they are on the outside and disconnect people from the outside world. While the total institution serves to cut people off from the outside, ties between other incarcerated women and those on the outside can persist. For these women, social ties from both with those inside and outside the prison is crucial – positive ties can take the form of friendship, emotional support, practical assistance, or even taking temporary custody of the baby. We consider social ties from those inside and outside the prison in terms of support and strain within the context of the total institution. We consider the effects of positive, negative, and mixed ties and the relationship between incarceration and pregnant and postpartum women’s relationships, which has major implications.