Series - Editorial Fellowship: Women's Economic Resilience

What does reproductive injustice have to do with pregnant people’s poverty? To this doula organization, everything

Author Sherlyn Assam
Wellness Within is expanding their mission of supporting incarcerated pregnant people to advocate for access to housing and income upon their release.

Why It Matters

Only 19 percent of women find a job after incarceration, compared to 50 percent of men. Assisting with abortions, cushioning healthcare costs and helping pregnant people find housing upon their release can help with reintegration.

var TRINITY_TTS_WP_CONFIG = {"cleanText":"What does reproductive injustice have to do with pregnant people\u2019s poverty? To this doula organization, everything. This journalism is made possible by the Future of Good editorial fellowship on women\u2019s economic resilience, supported by Scotiabank. See our editorial ethics and standards here. Trigger warning: Story mentions infant death\u00a0 When Julie Bilotta was forced to give birth in her Ottawa-Carleton Detention Centre cell without support from prison guards or nurses in 2012, her child was bruised from the waist down, was put on a ventilator, and dealt with chronic breathing problems until his death one year later. This was one of the preventable tragedies that led to Wellness Within working with criminalized pregnant people. \u201cF

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