Resources

If you work in a jail or prison...

These resources can help you take the next step toward supporting pregnant people’s health and the health of their newborn babies:

Dr. Shlafer's article, "Maternal and neonatal outcomes among incarcerated women who gave birth in custody," underscores how little information is gathered about this population.
Dr. Saunders & Dr. Shlafer's study, "Corrections officers’ knowledge and perspectives of maternal and child health policies and programs for pregnant women in prison," fills some gaps in what we know about corrections officers’ attitudes towards maternal and child health programs in prisons. We find that most strongly approved of the prison’s doula program and the practice of not restraining pregnant women.
This CorrectCare magazine article shows how prison doula programs are proving to benefit babies, incarcerated mothers, and busy prison and jail staff, offering practical steps on how other facilities can replicate them.

If you provide care and support to children and families impacted by incarceration...

This information may support your work:

Our 10 Takeaways document details what we have learned about the impact of parental incarceration on young people.
Youth self-report on the effects of parental incarceration in this study using the Minnesota Student Survey.

If you are a policy maker...

We can support your health equity and children’s health priorities in many ways.

Our Issue Briefs below on the academic, behavioral, and health impact of parental incarceration on Minnesota youth can familiarize you with the topic. Recent legislation [2014 Anti-shackling law; 2021 Healthy Start Act; 2023 Healthy Beginnings, Healthy Families Act] illustrates our paths to systems change. We would welcome a conversation anytime with you and your teams.