If you work with female incarcerated individuals, you are likely to regularly care for pregnant patients. It is estimated that 6-10% of incarcerated women are pregnant at any time in the criminal justice system as almost 80% of female incarcerated individuals are of child-bearing age. Many correctional nurses enter their correctional practice with little experience caring for pregnant women, yet we…
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Trauma Among Incarcerated Women Research shows that between 77 and 90 percent of incarcerated women report experiences of past trauma. These traumatic experiences often include high rates of childhood abuse, intimate partner violence, and sexual assault. The incarceration experience itself can also be retraumatizing, as the conditions and procedures within correctional settings may trigger memories or feelings related to past…
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Who Are Incarcerated Women? Most incarcerated women are of reproductive age, facing unique health challenges related to this stage of life. Within this population, women from Black, Hispanic, and Indigenous communities are disproportionately represented, reflecting broader social and systemic inequities. Many of these women were caregivers for children or family members prior to incarceration, adding to the emotional and social…
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