Annotated Bibliography

Cardaci, Regina. "Care of Pregnant Women in the Criminal Justice System."ResearchGate. The American Journal of Nursing, Sept. 2013. Web. 24 Apr. 2016.

1. This article explores the shackling of pregnant inmates during childbirth and argues that it is still a widespread practice despite laws established by the United Nations that have banned this method. Cardaci provides an overview of policies of states in the U.S. that still permit the shackling of inmates and offers information about their guidelines and protocols. She discusses shackling to point us to the larger neglect of rights for incarcerated women, including the failure of existing laws in most states to provide adequate protection for female inmates. This particular article is aimed towards nurses as it was published on Lippincott NursingCenter.com, and strives to bring light to the inhumane medical procedures that are practiced on female inmates.

Fritz, Stephanie, and Kevin Whiteacre. "Prison Nurseries: Experiences of Incarcerated Women during Pregnancy." Taylor & Francis Online. Routledge Taylor & Francis Group, 07 Nov. 2015. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.

1. This journal explores the prenatal, birth, and postpartum experiences of women participating in prison nursery programs and a group of women who gave birth in the same prison prior to implementation of the program. The findings show that both groups of respondents overwhelmingly considered prison health care to be inadequate as many infirmaries “disregarded health complaints and labor concerns.” Fritz & Whiteacre interview 27 women to show that although there have been some improvements for incarcerated mothers, including the creation of prison nurseries, these improvements “[do] not mean that incarcerated women view their care as high quality.” The authors strive to show lawmakers and legislators the realities of what goes on within closed facilities to exemplify that despite the creation of certain laws and improvements in programs, prison policies and procedures are still not being properly enforced.

International, Amnesty. "Pregnant and Imprisoned in the United States."Birth 27.4 (2000): 266-71. Web.

1. This article describes violations of the human rights of pregnant and incarcerated mothers in prisons and jails in the United States and incorporates reports that describe the treatment and experiences of mothers behind bars, and of women prisoners who are about to give birth. The evidence provided in this article includes reports of individual cases of the maltreatment of pregnant inmates in various states, including Illinois, New York, Michigan, California, Ohio, Massachusetts, and Kentucky. According to their website, Amnesty International is a “is a global movement of people fighting injustice and promoting human rights” and this article aims to show that medical conditions for women in the United States are appalling. Amnesty International calls on federal, state, and local governments to take urgent action and ensure that all laws, policies, and procedures conform to international standards and respect the human rights of women deprived of their liberty.

Ocen, Priscilla A. "Punishing Pregnancy: Race, Incarceration, and the Shackling of Pregnant Prisoners." By Priscilla A Ocen. California Law Review, 2012. Web. 24 Apr. 2016.

1. Priscilla argues that both women and their children will have greater protection from the damaging impact of incarceration if the United States reduces its reliance on prisons and begins offering more community-based programs. She explores the traumatic effects of separation on children and reveals that caretaker instability increases children’s risk of “depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, other trauma-related stress and negative behaviors.” This article was a response to the author’s experiences in working with incarcerated mothers in her hopes to advocate for women and families who have been adversely affected by the criminal justice system.

Vainik, Jenni. "The Reproductive And Parental Rights Of Incarcerated Mothers." Family Court Review 46.4 (2008): 670-94. Web.

1. Jenni Vainik argues that prisons should adopt three new policies in order to ensure the humane treatment of female inmates, including the creation of prison nurseries where women can live with their children, the provision of adequate prenatal health care, and a prohibition on shackling. The author provides many instances in which the specific needs of pregnant inmates were not tended to, such as Shawanna Nelson, a woman who “spent her first twelve hours of labor in her prison cell” which left her with “permanent damage to her sciatic nerve.” Vainik suggests these three new policies in an attempt to spur controversy and bring about progressive changes within the criminal justice system that recognize the reality of incarcerated mothers lives. She exposes the truth behind state facilities’ deficient health care systems and reveals that the “public’s lack of access to information about what occurs inside prison walls” largely underscores the importance of prison policies that protect women’s rights.
   
   

Works Cited

"2015 Anti-Shackling Bill Talking Points." Women in Prison Project, Correctional Association of New York (2012): n. pag. Correctional Association. 2012. Web. Apr. 2016.

"Facts about the Over-Incarceration of Women in the United States."American Civil Liberties Union. ACLU Foundation, n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2016.

"Federal Bureau of Prisons." BOP Statistics: Inmate Gender. N.p., 27 Feb. 2016. Web. 18 Apr. 2016.

Gebreyes, Rahel. "Prisons Are Illegally Shackling Pregnant Women While In Labor." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 11 Mar. 2015. Web. 18 Apr. 2016.

INCARCERATED WOMEN (n.d.): n. pag. Sentencing Project. The Sentencing Project, Research and Advocacy for Reform, 2012. Web. Apr. 2016.

Liptak, Adam. "Prisons Often Shackle Pregnant Inmates in Labor." The New York Times. The New York Times, 01 Mar. 2006. Web. 24 Apr. 2016.

Nation Inside. "An Alternative Report to the Fourth Periodic Report of the United States of America Submitted Pursuant to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights." THE SHACKLING OF INCARCERATED PREGNANT WOMEN: A HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATION COMMITTED REGULARLY IN THE UNITED STATES(n.d.): n. pag. Nation Inside. University of Chicago Law School, Aug. 2013. Web. Apr. 2016.

Yager, Sarah. "Prison Born." The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company, July 2015. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.