Pregnancy in prison — a literature review Part 1: organisation of care

Background:

Pregnant prisoners are a cohort of women in society who are particularly vulnerable to poverty, social exclusion and fragmented health care. Overcrowding, insanitary, stressful and violent conditions alongside other prisoners who share the same increased health vulnerabilities, can exacerbate health decline and heighten the risk of mental health illness, resulting in a greater need for individual specific health care.

Aim:

A critical analysis of available literature to explore the provision of maternity care for women in prison across developed countries, with a more in-depth review of services provided in Ireland.

Method:

An electronic database search of studies that took place in developed countries over the last 20 years.

Results:

Three main themes were identified: organisation of care, fragmented care, and health care providers' attitude.

Conclusion:

The various types of maternity care provide an insight into the care a woman receives while in prison. The lack of data on the numbers of pregnant women throughout prisons across the world, in conjunction with inconsistent policies and guidelines to guide prison institutions, may be the reason for the stark differences in the structure of maternity care in prisons across the globe.

This paper (Part 1) will focus on the first theme, ‘Organisation of care’, exploring the organisation of maternity care given to women in prison across various countries.