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 will bring 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.

Join us for 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

Registration to Follow

2025 Agenda

Day 1 – Thursday, October 30

8:30 – 9:00 am CDT – Opening Remarks

Barbara A. Frey, J.D., Emerita Director of the Human Rights Program, University of Minnesota

Dr. Christina Ewig, Professor of Public Affairs, Faculty Director , Center on Women, Gender, and Public Policy at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota

9:00 – 9:30 am CDT – Keynote

Dr. Rebecca Shlafer, Associate Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the 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 and 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

Dr. Sheela Maru

Dr. Krupa Harishankar

Chloë LeStage, Policy Associate, Youth Represent

11:15 – 12:30 pm CDT – Effective Advocacy Through Litigation, Monitoring, and Collaboration

Veronica Fillippeschi, Senior Advisor, Association for the Prevention of Torture

Catherine Ahlin-Halverson, ACLU Minnesota

Apurva Vivek, Founder, Hashiya: Socio-Legal Centre for Women

Moderated by Stuti Shah, Doctoral Candidate, Columbia Law School

Day 2 – Friday, October 31

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

Amanda Lyons, Executive Director, Human Rights Center, University of Minesota Law School

Benoit Van Keirsbilck, Director, Defense for Children International – Belgium; Member of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child

9:00 – 10:15 am CDT – Keeping Mothers and Babies Together

Ruth Breen, Senior Program Officer, Corrections Victoria, Department of Justice and Community Safety

Lori Timlin, Parenting Coordinator, Minnesota Correctional Facility, Shakopee, and Victoria Lopez

Moderated by Isabel Cornado, Coordinator, the Family-Based Justice Center Research, Marron Institute, New York University

10:30 – 11:30 am CDT – Progress and Pushback on Laws

Maya Sikand, Public Law 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, and Community Health Worker

Moderated by Isabella Sánchez, Clinical Psychologist and Systemic Family Therapist specializing in justice, incarceration, and vulnerable populations