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Review
. 2022 Jan-Dec:18:17455057221093037.
doi: 10.1177/17455057221093037.

Justice for Incarcerated Moms Act of 2021: Reflections and recommendations

Rebecca J Shlafer  1 , Erica Gerrity  2 , Chauntel Norris  3 , Rachel Freeman-Cook  2 , Carolyn B Sufrin  4
Affiliations
Review

Justice for Incarcerated Moms Act of 2021: Reflections and recommendations

Rebecca J Shlafer et al. Womens Health (Lond). 2022 Jan-Dec.

Abstract

In the last five decades, the number of women behind bars in the United States has risen exponentially. It is now estimated that there are nearly 58,000 admissions of pregnant people-disproportionately women of color-to jails and prisons each year. Recognizing the urgency and consequences of mass incarceration on pregnant people, their families, and communities, House Resolution 948: Justice for Incarcerated Moms Act of 2021 was introduced to Congress as a part of the Black Maternal Health Momnibus. The Justice for Incarcerated Moms Act aims to improve health care and promote dignity for incarcerated pregnant and parenting people through an array of policies and oversight. In this article, we review and reflect on the components of this bill within their broader public health and reproductive justice contexts. We close with recommendations for policymakers and professionals committed to promoting equity and justice for pregnant and postpartum incarcerated people.

Keywords: jail; maternal health; policy; postpartum; pregnant; prison.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of conflicting interests: The author(s) declared the following potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: Carolyn Sufrin serves on the board of directors of the National Commission on Correctional Health Care (NCCHC); she also serves as a consultant for NCCHC Resources, Inc. The other Authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

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