Accounts of Formerly Incarcerated Pregnant Women’s Medical Experiences in Prison

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Abstract

This research centers on in-depth interviews with formerly pregnant inmates, in order to better understand the pregnancy experience in prison by providing a portrait into how women construct and account for the way they felt about their health while in prison, specifically their evaluation of medical care throughout their pregnancy, including during labor and delivery. This research is important both because this group has not received adequate attention from scholars and also because the number of women who are incarcerated has increased sharply in recent decades. Findings suggest that women become more invisible and are reduced to passive spectators throughout their pregnancies. This may be in stark contrast to the birth experiences among non-incarcerated women because non-incarcerated pregnant women are granted greater autonomy in their healthcare decisions, such as decisions that involve the location of birth, e.g., hospital, birthing center, or home, in addition to methods of relieving pain, and the presence or absence of select individuals in the room while birthing, as examples. This lack of autonomy in decision-making influences the healthcare received throughout one’s pregnancy, including during labor and delivery. Findings further bring to light power dynamics between pregnant women and medical and correctional personnel.

Author

• Rebecca Rodriguez Carey, The University of Missouri