We believe that people deserve dignity in their life. That extends to those that are pregnant in prison, before, during and after birth. Our pregnant in prison campaign details our efforts fighting the inhumane policies harming incarcerated pregnant people and their families. This is an ongoing fight that involves the work of many people and organizations. In collaboration with UW-Milwaukee Film Students, we produced two videos highlighting the efforts being made to preserve and protect the rights of pregnant people in prison.
State Senator Kelda Roys
The first video features Kelda Roys, a Wisconsin State Senator who alongside her colleagues has been working to stop the practice of shackling pregnant and postpartum incarcerated mothers.
Calling Wisconsin’s laws regarding incarcerated mothers “some of the worst in the nation” . Roys would like to pass an anti-shackling bill that would outlaw the shackling of a pregnant or postpartum person unless they present an immediate danger to others or themselves.
The senator also stresses how important it is for the baby to be attached and bond with the parent, citing emotional security, brain development, language and learning, among other benefits. In other parts of the world that do not have these draconian measures it leads to more public safety outcomes and greatly reduces recidivism. Ultimately, Roys and her colleagues want to set up pregnant people and their children for success.
Hayley Archer
Hayley Archer is a civil rights attorney who helped bring the ACLU’s successful mother-young childcare care. When we talked with her about why this work was important to her, Archer noted that society usually devotes resources and time to incarcerated men and does not usually think about pregnancy, prison and the treatment of women in correctional settings. The disparate treatment of women in custody means that women often receive poor medical and reproductive care.
This pervasive neglect towards women and pregnant individuals becomes even worse when you consider just how many people who are incarcerated are also parents. Statistically, people with children account for more than half of the prison population, a result of mass incarceration and outdated “tough on crime” policies that have sent far too many people to prison. Archer makes sure to reiterate that it is not only the person in prison that is adversely affected, but also the child and their family. Archer shares stories of incarcerated people that are separated from their children, and the pain and trauma that it causes them.
Several states have nursery prison programs, childcare rooms and other initiatives that help keep the parent and child together, which then leads to positive personal, social and societal outcomes. As of 2025, Wisconsin still does not have a fully implemented prison nursery program. Archer believes that there needs to be complete overhauls of the carceral system that include recognizing the humanity of pregnant people. As for ways that people can help, Archer recommends getting educated about this topic and talking about this issue to others.
We are so thankful to these brave women and everyone else that continues to advocate for pregnant people in prison. It only benefits society when a child has a deep bond with their parents and nothing, not even incarceration, should prevent that.
