According to Rebecca M. Rodriguez Carey, more than three thousand women in our nation's prisons each year are pregnant. Despite the numbers hardly anything is known about them. Out of sight, out of mind. Carey set out to change that. Her research paints a draconian picture--one that would inspire a latter day Dante to add another ring to Hell. Just try to imagine:
*being denied adequate pain relief after a C section because of a general rule about opiates despite the fact that it's major surgery. (I've had 3 C sections. Trust me when I say that after you get cut like that you need an opiate);
*being shackled at the ankles, waist, and wrists while in labor;
and *suffering from post partum symptoms like seriously heavy bleeding and severe breast pain and not being allowed to see a doctor.
Her research resulted in Birth Behind Bars: The Carceral Control of Pregnant Women in Prison. At the heart of the narrative are the candid and poignant--often heart breaking-- experiences of the women who trusted her with their stories.
Readers follow these women through the often insurmountable challenges and deprivations and cruelties they must cope with from learning of their pregnancies through labor and delivery to leaving prison, often hoping for reunification with their babies without being given anywhere near adequate resources to do so.
"Throughout this book, I show how the maternal web of control operates and argue that incarcerated pregnant women are regulated in the most extreme of ways through subjugation and oppression and through the near-countless and archaic rules governing pregnancy and motherhood behind bars. Using a reproductive-justice framework, I introduce the maternal web of control and show how the criminal legal system works with other social systems to further repress the reproductive rights of women, where reproductive decisions are not left to pregnant women but remain in the hands of powerful carceral systems collectively disrupting entire families, neighborhoods, and communities."
Carey hopes that Birth Behind Bars will lead to incarcerated women being included in conversations centered around pregnancy, birth, and motherhood. I see it as a most excellent read for feminists and our allies.
On a purrrsonal note, yesterday UMaine had a festive event on the mall. There were a bunch of tables and some games. By far the most popular was Bailey's table where people could stuff a bear and put a UMaine t 👕 on it. I was paparazzi. I randomly found the fun photos app on my phone and had fun experimenting with it. Then I was hanging at a table with friends having a great time. Then I rushed to write this review in time to hand the book over to Bailey so she could read it before it's due. I finished with 5 minutes to spare. Eugene came home after a week at camp and I was very happy to see him. When I realized I'd left my favorite book mark on campus he drove me there to get it.
I love reading. I enjoy writing and take pride in my reviews. But sometimes I feel a lot of pressure because of all the great review worthy books that keep getting published. I'll never get to them all, especially if I keep any kind of balance in my life.
A great big shout out goes out to Carey for crafting such a relevant, timely book and the women who shared their stories with her.
Jules Hathaway
Sent from my Galaxy
