NCJ Number
224133
Journal
Journal of Forensic Nursing Volume: 4 Issue: 2 Dated: 2008 Pages: 55-60
Date Published
2008
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This description of an educational/support group for pregnant women incarcerated in a Northeast women’s State correctional facility addresses the pilot group, the results of an initial evaluation, challenges, future goals, and the significance of such programs.
Abstract
The initial evaluation of the pilot group found that the group composition changed unexpectedly from week to week, interfering with group consistency and continuity. In addition, women came to the group with pressing concerns for which they wanted practical guidance. Given these findings, the program facilitators decided that the group sessions should be fluid and less structured. A conversational, informal style proved to be more effective than a typical instructional approach. The group began with introductions, the answering of questions, and instruction based on the pressings needs of the women attending the group on a given day. One dominant concern was the impact on their developing babies of the women’s use of alcohol and various drugs. As the women got to know each other, they established a supportive network and shared their experiences. Over the past 22 months of the program, various issues related to future program goals emerged, including the training of correctional nurses in the special needs of pregnant women; the enlisting of volunteer “Doulas,” which are lay women with experience and training in one-to-one support in the early stages of labor; and the collection of data on measurable program outcomes regarding impacts on the physical and psychosocial well-being of women and their babies during pregnancy and after birth. Establishing groups specifically for pregnant inmates is an effective way of addressing some of the educational and support needs of this vulnerable population. 26 references