Poster #48 - An Examination of Data Collection Around Pregnant Inmates

• In Event: Poster Session I (posters 1 - 79)

Abstract

Pregnancy data collection in correctional settings is fragmented: the CDC tracks pregnancy outcomes but not incarceration status, while the BJS collects incarceration data but incompletely tracks pregnancy outcomes. The First Step Act (FSA, 2018) mandates pregnancy tracking only within the Federal Bureau of Prisons, and the Pregnant Women in Custody Act (PWCA, 2023) remains proposed.

Purpose: This study examines how state DOC data collection procedures around pregnant inmates compare to CDC and BJS procedures and evaluates compliance with the FSA (2018) and the introduced PWCA (2023).

Methods: A content analysis examined publicly available pregnancy-related policies from all 50 state DOCs, the CDC, and BJS. A coding framework derived from FSA Sections 301 and 610 assessed intake identification, outcome tracking, and postpartum recovery. Five additional PWCA dimensions were evaluated. Inter-rater reliability yielded Cohen’s kappa of 0.819.

Results: Only 42% of states were compliant on intake data collection; 2% on outcome tracking; 34% on postpartum recovery. No state achieved full compliance across all FSA dimensions. On PWCA dimensions, no state met full compliance on demographics, infant disposition tracking, or pregnancy-specific complaints. The CDC and BJS each capture only one side of the pregnancy–incarceration intersection.

Author

• Julie "Jules" Rose Eggerding, Western Michigan University