Thank you for attending the third annual Global Prison Nursery Network symposium, “Pregnancy and Postpartum in Prison: Healthcare, Law, and Lived Experience.”
Pregnancy behind bars is an overlooked human rights issue. When someone who is pregnant or has recently given birth is facing criminal sentencing, international guidelines recommend that countries prioritize non-custodial alternatives. If incarceration is unavoidable, they should receive adequate perinatal care and be allowed contact with their child. Too often, this does not happen.
Around the world, researchers are examining pregnancy in custody, including its prevalence, access to care, and birth outcomes. At the same time, NGOs – often guided by impacted people – are providing critical support to incarcerated pregnant people, advocating for alternative sentencing, and demanding better care in correctional facilities.
At Children of Incarcerated Caregivers’ third annual GPNN Symposium, we brought together dedicated experts to share what they have learned, their experiences, and their recommendations to improve perinatal care and reduce the number of pregnant people in custody.
Our symposium consisted of important conversations at the intersection of health, law, and human rights, including:
- The need for international standards for perinatal care in custody
- Advocacy tools and best practices to improve care and protections in jails and prisons
- Alternatives to incarceration for pregnant people and new parents
2025 Agenda
Day 1 – Thursday, October 30th
8:30 – 9:00 am CDT – Opening Remarks
Barbara A. Frey, J.D., Emerita Director, Human Rights Program, University of Minnesota
Dr. Christina Ewig, Professor, Public Affairs; Faculty Director, Center on Women, Gender, and Public Policy, Humphrey School of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota
9:00 – 9:30 am CDT – Keynote
Dr. Rebecca Shlafer, Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota
9:30 – 10:45 am CDT – Advancing International Guidelines for Perinatal Care in Prisons
Dr. Robert Paterson, Programme Coordinator, Health in Detention, International Committee of the Red Cross
Dr. Carolyn Sufrin, Medical Anthropologist, Researcher, Johns Hopkins University; Founder, Director, Advocacy and Research on Reproductive Wellness of Incarcerated People (ARRWIP)
Kirsty Kitchen, Director, The Birth Companions Institute
Moderated by Professor Marie Claire Van Hout, Vice President, Research, Innovation and Impact, South East Technological University
10:45 – 11:00 am CDT – Break
11:00 – 11:15 am CDT – Launching Born Inside: Birth Experiences During Incarceration and the Need for Doula Care – The Birthing Support Working Group
Chloë LeStage, Policy Associate, Youth Represent
Christina Holdrege, Executive Director, Bloom Project NY
Judith Clark, Director, Survivors Justice Project
Dr. Krupa Harishankar, Assistant Faculty, Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Science, Health Systems Design and Global Health, Mount Sinai School of Medicine
Miyhosi Benton, Criminal Justice Activist, Policy Advocacy Expert, Strategist, and Independent Consultant, Women and Justice Project
Rebecca Giusti, former Medical Director, NYC Health + Hospitals/Correctional Health Services’ Complex Care and Special Populations Service
Dr. Sheela Maru, Associate Professor, Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Science, Health Systems Design and Global Health, Mount Sinai School of Medicine
11:15 – 12:30 pm CDT – Effective Advocacy Through Litigation, Monitoring, and Collaboration
Veronica Filippeschi, Senior Advisor, Association for the Prevention of Torture
Catherine Ahlin-Halverson, Staff Attorney, American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota
Apurva Vivek, Lawyer; Founder, Hashiya: Socio-Legal Centre for Women
Moderated by Stuti Shah, Doctoral Candidate, Columbia Law School
Day 2 – Friday, October 31st
8:00-8:30 CDT – In-person breakfast
8:30 – 9:00 am CDT – Day 2 Introduction and Comments: Respecting the Best Interests of the Child
Dr. Carrie Booth Walling, Director, Human Rights Program, University of Minnesota
Benoit Van Keirsbilck, Director, Defense for Children International – Belgium; Member, UN Committee on the Rights of the Child
Amanda Lyons, Executive Director, Human Rights Center, University of Minnesota Law School
9:00 – 10:15 am CDT – Keeping Mothers and Babies Together
Ruth Breen, Senior Program Officer, Corrections Victoria, Department of Justice and Community Safety
Kellie Turner, Family Stability Community Navigator, Minnesota Department of Corrections
Victoria Lopez, Certified Peer Recovery Specialist, MN Prevention Recovery Alliance, Direct Recovery Support, and Revive Recovery
Dr. Florencia Cabrera, Deputy Public Defender, National Criminal Enforcement Courts, Argentina
Moderated by Isabel Coronado, Coordinator, Family-Based Justice Center Research, Marron Institute, New York University
10:15 – 10:30 am CDT – Break
10:30 – 11:30 am CDT – Progress and Pushback on Laws
Maya Sikand KC, Senior Barrister, Doughty Street Chambers
Antonietta Clemente, Founder, Lavori in Corso APS
Pamela Winn, Founder, RestoreHER
Moderated by Julie Matonich, Attorney; Co-Founder, Children of Incarcerated Caregivers
11:30 – 12:30 pm CDT – Mitigating Harms of Separation
Faith Masupa, Founder, Mother of Millions Foundation
Autumn Mason, Advocate, Family Trauma Professional, Community Health Worker
Dr. Laura Abbott, Professor, Maternal Health and Criminal Justice, University of Hertfordshire
Moderated by Isabella Sánchez, Clinical Psychologist and Systemic Family Therapist