ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the biological ability of women to carry children and special concerns surrounding pregnancy in prison. The ability of women to carry and deliver a child is specific to the female gender. Pregnancy affects a woman's entire mind and body. As the female body adjusts to different stages of pregnancy, it requires specific accommodations for the health, well-being, and comfort of mother and child. The Association of Women's Health, Obstetric, and Neonatal Nursing (AWHONN) issued an official statement regarding the shackling of pregnant incarcerated women. The chapter presents an argument for the gender-specific components of childbirth and the gender-specific needs of incarcerated women who are pregnant. International and domestic viewpoints on incarcerating pregnant women vary throughout the world. Finally, the chapter concludes with a discussion of pregnancy and human rights violations within correctional institutions.
