In April 2026, the Justice-involved Women and Children (JIWC) Collaborative (JIWCC) launched the first-ever national, interactive database of over 460 active policies for pregnant and postpartum people who are incarcerated.

The Clearinghouse helps practitioners, policymakers, researchers and advocates explore state laws and compare policies across states. This searchable, open-access resource is designed to make information easier to find and use to improve outcomes for justice-involved families.

How to Use the Clearinghouse Page
Explore and compare state laws related to pregnancy and postpartum care in carceral settings by selecting a state to view relevant policies, or use the topic filters and map to find specific topics or policy areas.

COMING SOON! The Clearinghouse will also include programs (prison doula, enhanced perinatal programs, etc.) impacting pregnant and postpartum people who are incarcerated. Subscribe to our monthly newsletter so you don’t miss this important update!!

Clearinghouse Background
In 2021, the JIWCC formed a small policy workgroup, which reviewed state and federal statutes around pregnant and postpartum women in prison. They reviewed over 460 active state and federal law records from Westlaw, which were then uploaded to Dedoose, where they were qualitatively coded by topic.

In 2025-2026, members of the UMN JIWC team reviewed 545 policies and developed an interactive clearinghouse of 460+ state and federal JIWC-focused policies. JIWCC members and others are using it to disseminate states’ incarceration policies through policy briefs, scholarly publications and webinars.

Questions? Contact jiwc@umn.edu