Barriers to Breastfeeding for Visitors in New York State Prisons: Policy, Practice, and Proxy Carceral Control

• In Event: Open Refereed Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (90 minute): Table 7: Crime, Criminalization, and the Carceral State

Abstract

Background: This study examines institutional barriers to breastfeeding experienced by caregivers visiting incarcerated individuals in New York State correctional facilities. Visitation practices are governed by the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) Directive 4403, which requires that an appropriate space within reasonable proximity to the visiting room be made available for breastfeeding.

Methods: Telephone inquiries were conducted with 41 correctional facilities, of which 31 responded, to assess breastfeeding accommodations for visitors. Callers asked about permission to bring and use breast pumps, transport expressed breast milk, and access a sanitary, private space for pumping or feeding an infant. Three quantitative measures—the Correctional Breastfeeding Support Index (C-BSI), Supportive Communication Index (SCI), and Surveillance/Proxy Control Index (SPCI)—were developed to evaluate institutional policies, staff interactions, and enforcement practices.

Results: Findings reveal inconsistent policy implementation, administrative barriers, and staff behaviors that undermine reproductive and breastfeeding justice. Participants described hostile or dismissive staff interactions, requests for incarcerated individuals’ Department Identification Numbers (DINs), and unsanitary recommendations, such as feeding infants in bathrooms. Quantitative analysis indicated negative mean C-BSI scores (M = –0.12), positive SCI scores (M = 0.28), and negative SPCI scores (M = –0.18). Kruskal–Wallis tests demonstrated that policy-compliant facilities had significantly higher SCI scores, while C-BSI scores did not differ significantly by compliance status or security level. Correlational analyses showed a significant inverse relationship between SCI and SPCI (ρ = –.469, p = .008), suggesting that supportive communication mitigates surveillance-oriented practices.

Discussion: This study helped to develop the concept of Proxy Carceral Control (PCC) to describe how correctional institutions regulate caregivers and extend carceral authority beyond incarcerated individuals. PCC highlights the ways institutional practices shape caregivers’ bodily autonomy, family relationships, and health outcomes, with broader implications for reproductive justice and family well-being.

Authors

• Shameika Niasia Williams, SUNY Old Westbury

• Bejewel Muckle, SUNY College at Old Westbury

• Leticia Rios, NYU Winthrop Hospital

• Shantesica Gilliam, Spelman College

• Sarah Smith, SUNY Old Westbury