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Labor Support for Incarcerated Pregnant Women: The Doula Project

Janice Bell

University of Washington

Women of childbearing age are the fastest growing segment of the incarcerated population, but few resources exist for women who deliver an infant while in jail. This article presents data from a multiagency, collaborative study providing trained labor and birth support (doulas) to pregnant women who delivered while in jail custody. Satisfaction surveys and qualitative interviews showed high program feasibility and satisfaction and low program costs. The most compelling findings of the study were the interviews with the inmate mothers that outlined a grim and repetitive trajectory of childhood abuse, violence, and neglect that led to school failure, problematic relationships with men, early drug use, arrest, incarceration, and eventual loss of children. Policy recommendations centered around early intervention, harm reduction, and reunification conclude the article.

Key Words: incarcerated pregnant women • high risk pregnancy • intervention research • doula support

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