Pregnant women behind prison bars face harrowing challenges. Lacking adequate prenatal care, nutrition, and support, they give birth to babies who endure health disparities and developmental delays. Overcrowding and unsanitary conditions exacerbate risks for infections and complications. Shackling during labor and delivery is commonplace, depriving mothers of dignity and choice. Inmates struggle with the emotional anguish of separation from their newborns, often placed in foster care. The stigma attached to being a pregnant prisoner further isolates these women, hindering their rehabilitation and reunification with their families.
