U.S. Prison System Hasn't Adapted To Unique Health Challenges Brought By Large Increase Of Incarcerated Women, Report Find

Amid reports on women giving birth while shackled to hospital beds, a new report tries to give solid data that looks at the reality of women who are behind bars. "The fact that nobody had collected this data before signals just how much this population is neglected," said Dr. Carolyn Sufrin of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

The Associated Press: Study: About 4 Percent Of Women Are Pregnant When Jailed

About 4 percent of women incarcerated in state prisons across the U.S. were pregnant when they were jailed, according to a new study released Thursday that researchers hope will help lawmakers and prisons better consider the health of women behind bars. The number of imprisoned women has risen dramatically over the past decades, growing even as the overall prison rates decline. (3/21)

NPR: What We Do And Don't Know About Pregnancy And Incarceration

The correctional system hasn't adapted to the large increase in incarcerated women, according to study author Dr. Carolyn Sufrin, an OB-GYN at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. And there are profound health and social consequences for the children of incarcerated mothers. She says the report provides the first data that could inform policy changes to address the health and well-being of incarcerated women who are pregnant, and the children born to them. (Lambert, 3/21)

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