Pregnant and Incarcerated
"Any health-care professional that thinks that pad counts are an appropriate triaging tool for a pregnant person is not qualified to take care of pregnant people" (Olson)
Olson, a pregnant Colorado native and quoted above, is just one example of the countless women who are involved in the justice system and receive sub-standard medical and prenatal care. Olsen was ignored by guards, officers, and jail officials when she warned them about severe stomach cramps and bleeding. "They gave me two pads and sent me to a single cell by myself" where Olsen continued to bleed, only to be told by the guards that she needed to get ahold of herself (Schmidt). Navigating pregnancy and motherhood can be a daunting, isolating and challenging journey. Now, imagine that the support from loved ones, proper prenatal care and proper nutrition are unaccessible. While the New Jersey codes in place for care of pregnant inmates seem to outline a pertinent system with "appropriate postpartum and follow-up medical care, suitable maternity clothes, reasonable housing assignments, nutritional supplements and diet as prescribed by the treating physician," countless women report a different reality. With a system in place that has been assembled largely for men, women's unique health issues such as pregnancy, prenatal care or even the quality and quantity of feminine hygiene products have not been taken into account. With the largest population of incarcerated women in the world, the United States (and it's citizens) need to take a closer look at how we can help those in an already vulnerable position, get the help them, and their babies, deserve.
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