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Pregnant Prisoners

A woman with long, wavy red hair, wearing a baseball cap and whose face is not visible, sits at a table looking out a window with blue curtains.
Cleveland May 16
Ohio Lawmaker Wants to Require Jails to Report Pregnancy Outcomes
The Cleveland Democrat says “all babies should count,” — regardless of whether their mother is behind bars — to ensure access to healthcare for pregnant women.
By , The Marshall Project, and Scott Noll, News 5 Cleveland
A woman with long, wavy red hair, whose face is not visible, looks out a window with blue curtains. Behind her is a tall vase with green leaves in it. A stack of diapers is on a chair.
Cleveland May 15
Uncounted: Ohio’s Failure to Track Lost Pregnancies in Jails Spurs Questions Over Care
One woman’s pregnancy ended in the Cuyahoga County Jail amid ignored cries for help and an “egregious performance failure” by medical staff.
By , The Marshall Project, and Scott Noll, News 5 Cleveland
A pregnant woman wearing an orange prison uniform places her hand on her belly.
Closing Argument May 10
Why We Still Don’t Have Enough Solid Data on Pregnancy in Prison
A new report sheds light on pregnant people behind bars, but misses their lived experience.
By
Jules Werkheiser, a White person wearing a leather jacket, with her wife, Samantha, a White woman wearing a blue floral dress, and their son, Julius.
Life Inside July 19, 2024
Love Beyond Bars: Jules and Samantha
Jules and Samantha Werkheiser fought their wrongful convictions for over a decade. Here’s their journey of survival — and motherhood — in pictures.
Photographs by Camille Farrah Lenain
As-told-to by
Left: Mark Jones, serving life without parole in a Florida prison. Right: Incarcerated women at Julia Tutwiler Prison for Women in Wetumpka, Alabama.
Feature September 5, 2023
The Marshall Project and FRONTLINE Present ‘Two Strikes’ and ‘Tutwiler’
A special broadcast of two short documentaries gives a rare insight into life behind bars.
Two Strikes by Ursula Liang, Tessa Travis and
Tutwiler by Elaine McMillion Sheldon and
Left: Mark Jones, serving life without parole in a Florida prison. Right: Incarcerated women at Julia Tutwiler Prison for Women in Wetumpka, Alabama.
News and Awards August 29, 2023
Watch the Trailer for ‘Two Strikes’ and ‘Tutwiler’
The Marshall Project and Frontline’s short prison documentaries will air on PBS and can be streamed online.
By The Marshall Project
An illustration shows a portrait of a woman with green eyes, wearing a blouse and earrings. Clouds and yellow sun rays are in the background.
Life Inside July 21, 2023
A New Law Gave Me 1 Year With My Babies Before Heading to Prison. How Will I Say Goodbye?
Minnesota’s Healthy Start law allowed Victoria Lopez to begin her seven-year prison sentence at home with her infant twins. Now comes the separation.
By Victoria Lopez, as told to
An illustration shows a portrait of an older Indigenous woman, wearing a red and white tribal headband, beaded necklaces and shirt. Clouds and a purple moon are in the background.
Life Inside July 14, 2023
While Doing Time in a California Prison, I Was Given a Hysterectomy Without My Consent
Moonlight Pulido believed she was having surgery to remove growths from her uterus. In a brutal bait-and-switch, she was sterilized.
By Moonlight Pulido as told to
An illustration in purple tones shows a portrait of a woman with blue eyes, with her hair down and wearing a tank top.
Life Inside July 7, 2023
A Texas Jail Delayed My Prenatal Care to Keep Costs Down. Then I Had a Miscarriage.
Collin County Jail failed to send a bleeding, cramping Lauren Kent to an outside OB-GYN. In a lawsuit, she blames their “cost-containment” strategy.
By Lauren Kent as told to
Silhouettes of staff members looking through window blinds to view a parking lot.
Life Inside June 30, 2023
Reproductive Healthcare Behind Bars Was Dismal Even Before Roe Ended
Abortion is just one part of a greater story about how indifferent — and even cruel — reproductive healthcare can be in prisons and jails.
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