Hellobee Boards

Out of curiosity, how do you get pregnant in prison? Were you already pregnant upon arrival or do they allow conjugal visits or what...

@.twist.: Ahh...the kids don't stay in the prison once they're born though, do they?

@tororojo: yep, some do. they have (in women's prisons not sure about all of them) daycare type area's where the moms can visit at certain times etc. especially if the mom can't find anyone to help her raise it. They'd have nowhere to send it. It's messed up.

@Mrs. Tricycle: wow, interesting life for that kid!!

@tororojo: and I should clarify, I'm no expert, this is just from what I've seen on TV. They are called prison nurseries. I also just found this in the Canadian Correctional Services website:

1. Full-time residency of the child

Aim: To give mothers the opportunity to fulfil their parental role when this is in the best interests of the child.

@mrbee: hahaha I suppose I'd like free daycare if I could get it, but probably not under those circumstances! hahahaha

How does it work if you go into labor naturally? You just tell the guards you need to go to the hospital or what?

I've long wanted to work with women who have babies while in prison. The whole system is really horrible.
They are treated terribly, given mediocre care, and although many women are pregnant before they go in, there is also an awful lot of rape (by prison employees) going on.
In the hospital they are often handcuffed to the bed and guarded (often by a man they don't know), even if they are in jail for a non-violent crime (like check fraud). They get very little time with their baby and then often, if they have no family or friends that can care for their child, the baby gets put into foster care and they don't get to see their baby until they get out.

The system needs some serious change, and if we ever move back to the USA on the long term, that's what I'll be doing. Creating an organization to help pregnant women in prison by offering childbirth education, doula services, lactation counseling and free pumps if they want to provide breastmilk, and maybe even be a foster mom so I can care for their babies and bring them to the prison for frequent prisons until they are out and ready to be parents again.

@Arden: +1. The US penal system horrifies me. I wish you the best of luck with your plans.

The fact that you're in prison would probably be the worst, and especially knowing those children probably won't get to break out of the cycle. I don't feel the least bit sorry for people who commit violent crimes. I feel sorry for the children they bring into this world.