Grant: Doctoral: Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships

Incarceration and structural violence are extensions of colonialism and continue to separate families from their biological kin as there is a lack of culturally appropriate alternatives to imprisonment. For pregnant Indigenous women who are incarcerated, traumatic institutional conditions, vulnerability for both personal and fetal safety, and barriers to choose perinatal care are increased. Existing literature examines the challenges faced by children of incarcerated parents and overwhelmingly focuses on incarcerated fathers. This study uses narrative inquiry methodology to explore the combined experience of pregnancy and incarceration for Indigenous women. This study addresses many areas of incarcerated women's experiences that have received little attention: (1) What are the experiences of Indigenous pregnant women in the federal correctional system? (2) What are the needs, supports, and services for incarcerated Indigenous women who are pregnant or have recently given birth? (3) How do these experiences impact their reintegration process upon release? (4) What relationship does the incarcerated individual have with their own mother?