The Pregnant Woman in Prison

Abstract

There are currently 4200 women in prison, many of whom are pregnant or already mothers. Pregnant prisoners have unique and complex physical and psychological needs. The need for a ‘one-stop shop’ for health care was recommended by Baroness Corston in 2007. However, many of the recommendations made by Corston in 2007 have not been met. This article gives an overview of the needs of the pregnant prisoner, the social inequality of women in prison and the cycle of deprivation and abuse that often leads to criminal behaviour in women. The article makes recommendations for future policy and discusses the gender issue of UK prisons, which have been historically designed by men for men but are facilitating the incarceration of women.