Poor people are disproportionately represented in prisons and their children are highly vulnerable. Incarcerated people have a median pre-incarceration income that is 41% less than non-incarcerated people of similar ages. The families we work with match national data for incarcerated populations: they are more likely to be poor, Black and to experience negative maternal and infant health outcomes
than the average citizen. In Georgia, poor women inside prison give birth to babies who are then cared for by poor women outside of prison. When an incarcerated woman gives birth in Georgia, she is separated from her newborn within 24 to 48 hours; there are no “prison nurseries” in Georgia so women return to prison within days of giving birth and caregivers are notified to pick up the infant at the hospital. The vast majority of infants are cared for by a family member, most frequently a grandmother, who takes on the responsibility of caregiver-- often with little warning. Many of these families lack a robust support system to help with the inevitable challenges that come with caring for a newborn. The hardships that follow often perpetuate a persistent cycle of poverty for the family. Motherhood Beyond Bars is based on the belief that every woman, no matter her background, deserves to have a healthy pregnancy, birth and the opportunity to establish a bonded relationship with her children. We work for a world where every child is born into a community of care. In 2020, we developed three new programs that support infants and reunify families:
1) Probation and Parole Pregnancy Support
2) Caregiver Support Program
3) Reentry Benefitting Families
You can learn more about our programs at www.motherhoodbeyond.org
