The fight to keep babies out of prison

No births behind bars — Earlier this week, protestors gathered in Westminster to call for an end to the imprisonment of pregnant people, highlighting the serious risks prison poses to mothers and their newborn children.

In the last three years, two babies are known to have died in women’s prisons. Their mothers gave birth in HMP Bronzefield and HMP Styal in October 2019 and June 2020 respectively without medical assistance. In both cases, prison inspectors found the mothers were “failed” by the system. The Prison and Probation Ombudsman has stated that all pregnancies within prison are “high risk” and yet, all over the country, courts continue to send pregnant women to prison.

There are 12 women’s prisons in the UK. Research by the Nuffield Trust found that just over one in ten women giving birth during a prison sentence did so before they reached hospital – in the prison or while on transfer to hospital. Analysis of hospital records has also shown a steady increase year on year in the number of babies born to women while serving prison sentences, reaching 67 in 2018-19 compared to 43 in 2013-14.

 This week, over 50 parents, midwives and campaigners gathered in Parliament Square to demand an end to the imprisonment of pregnant women and new mothers. At the protest young mothers carried their children, many of whom wore daffodils for Mother’s Day, and chanted for an end to births in prison. Statements from those who had given birth in prison were read out, spelling out the need to end the imprisonment of pregnant and new mothers. 

Campaigners say the only way to keep pregnant women and new mothers safe is to keep them out of prison and in their communities, where they can access support to give their child the best start in life. Eleven countries, including Brazil, Colombia and Mexico, have laws against sending pregnant women to prison. 

Writing in Huck last year, a former inmate (who asked to remain anonymous) described the devastating reality of being imprisoned while pregnant. This included a miscarriage scare which left her waiting days alone and terrified, not knowing if the foetus was still alive. “No pregnant person should ever be trapped behind several locked doors,” she wrote. “It’s impossible for any urgent medical needs to be seen to. We know that the worst has already happened to people who have given birth in their cells and lost their babies… But even for those prisoners who don’t go into labour but need to see a doctor, they’re trapped in their cell until the guards decide to let them out. And they might not.”

The horrifying consequences of this were seen in 2013, when Nadine Wright, an inmate at HMP Peterborough, miscarried in prison and the guards left her to clean up the blood and foetus.

Most women in prison are serving short sentences for non-violent offences, with many swept up into crime as a result of their experiences of poverty, trauma and abuse. 72 per cent of women in prison are serving sentences of 12 months or less. 19 per cent of women in prison are there on remand, awaiting trial. 

At the protest earlier this week Emma Hughes, of the campaign group No Births Behind Bars, gave a moving speech detailing her experiences. Hughes was one of the Stansted 15 and faced jail following her conviction for blockading a deportation charter flight at Stansted airport in 2017. She was heavily pregnant at the time of conviction and spoke of the horror of applying to Mother and Baby units at prisons and the distress of being separated from her as yet unborn son.

Speaking to Huck, Hughes said: “Pregnancy and new motherhood are precious and vulnerable times, we know this as a group of new mothers. We need the government and courts to keep our babies safe, and end the imprisonment of pregnant women.

“It is never ok for a baby to be in jail, it is never safe for a woman to go into labour in a cell, and pregnant women and babies in prison are exposed to lethal risks.”


It is a sentiment echoed by Dr Laura Abbott, a senior lecturer in Midwifery at the University of Hertfordshire, who told Huck. “Prison is an unsafe environment for pregnant women and their unborn babies,” Abbott says. “In-cell births are not uncommon and women are giving birth in the prison estate, without qualified midwifery support and in non-sterile, inappropriate environments, far more often than they should be. This is highly concerning and must be addressed as a matter of urgency, so women and babies can be protected.”

The campaign group Level Up has launched a petition on the issue which has garnered over 10,000 signatures so far. Co-director of the group Janey Starling told Huck, “Prison will never, ever be a safe place to be pregnant. The trauma and toxic stress of the prison environment causes lasting harm to both mother and child.” 

“It’s time for the government to end the shameful imprisonment of pregnant women and new mothers, and make sure they are supported in the community instead.” 

Ben Smoke is Huck’s Politics & Activism Editor. Follow him on Twitter.

Enjoyed this article? Like Huck on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and Instagram


You might like

Dimly lit underground carpark, long winding corridor with concrete walls, floor, and pipes above.
Activism

Youth violence’s rise is deeply concerning, but mass hysteria doesn’t help

Safe — On Knife Crime Awareness Week, writer, podcaster and youth worker Ciaran Thapar reflects on the presence of violent content online, growing awareness about the need for action, and the two decades since Saul Dibb’s Bullet Boy.

Written by: Ciaran Thapar

Two people holding "Trans Rights Now" signs at an outdoor protest.
Activism

The UK is now second-worst country for LGBTQ+ rights in western Europe

Rainbow regression — It’s according to new rankings in the 2025 Rainbow Europe Map and Index, which saw the country plummet to 45th out of 49 surveyed nations for laws relating to the recognition of gender identity.

Written by: Ella Glossop

Red shop frontage with "Open Out" branding and appointment-only signage.
Activism

Meet the trans-led hairdressers providing London with gender-affirming trims

Open Out — Since being founded in 2011, the Hoxton salon has become a crucial space the city’s LGBTQ+ community. Hannah Bentley caught up with co-founder Greygory Vass to hear about its growth, breaking down barbering binaries, and the recent Supreme Court ruling.

Written by: Hannah Bentley

A punk rock band performing on stage, with a female lead singer belting into a microphone. Behind them, a colourful mural with graffiti-style text.
Music

Meet the hair-raised radicals of Berlin’s noise punk scene

Powertool — In his new zine, George Nebieridze captures moments of loud rage and quiet intimacy of the German capital’s bands, while exploring the intersections between music, community and anti-establishment politics.

Written by: Miss Rosen

Elderly man with glasses, white hair, and suit; young woman with long brown hair playing electric guitar on stage in green jacket.
Activism

Bernie Sanders introduces Clairo at Coachella, urging young Americans to “stand up for justice”

Coachella charmed — The Vermont Senator praised the singer-songwriter for her efforts in raising awareness of women’s rights issues and Gaza.

Written by: Isaac Muk

Focus on humanising people. Text over a bright green background with a faint image of a person's face.
Activism

Plestia Alaqad: “Journalists should focus on humanising people”

Huck’s April interview — Having become one of the most crucial and followed voices from inside Gaza in the aftermath of October 7, the award-winning author and journalist is releasing a new memoir, ‘The Eyes of Gaza’, collating diary entries made over the past 18 months. We caught up with her to hear more about it.

Written by: Isaac Muk

Huck is supported by our readers, subscribers and Club Huck members. It is also made possible by sponsorship from:

Signup to our newsletter

Sign up to our newsletter to informed with the cutting edge of sport, music and counterculture, featuring personal takes on the state of media and pop culture from Emma Garland, former Digital Editor of Huck, exclusive interviews, recommendations and more.

Please wait...

Accessibility Settings

Text

Applies the Open Dyslexic font, designed to improve readability for individuals with dyslexia.

Applies a more readable font throughout the website, improving readability.

Underlines links throughout the website, making them easier to distinguish.

Adjusts the font size for improved readability.

Visuals

Reduces animations and disables autoplaying videos across the website, reducing distractions and improving focus.

Reduces the colour saturation throughout the website to create a more soothing visual experience.

Increases the contrast of elements on the website, making text and interface elements easier to distinguish.