Kimberly Reese, Amina Slimane and Antone Washington, “The Effects of Incarceration of Pregnant Individuals under a Legal Understanding”
Mentor: Sean Kafer, Film, Video, Animation, & New Genres, Arts (Peck School of the)
Oral Presentation: 9:00am Union E240
Throughout the decades, the Wisconsin carceral system has subjected pregnant people in prison to family separation, over incarceration, and shackling during birth. In connection with the ACLU of Wisconsin, a case has been presented to a jury to outlaw the shackling of pregnant people during birth under incarceration. By interviewing Haley Archer, a civil rights attorney representing the case, one can deeper understand the effects of the incarceration system on pregnant individuals. In interview style questions, first and secondhand accounts are told to create a digital narrative for easier viewer consumption. Drawn from the results of the findings, the narrative details the 600% increase of women’s incarceration over the course of four decades, the detrimental effects of familial separations, and the neglect pregnant people face during pregnancy and labor. Archer describes the prisons systems’ orientation for male prisoners and how it negatively impacts female prisoners in the same system. This first hand account from Archer communicates the severity of the issues to the public in order to gain support for the cause. Many citizens view the understanding of the carceral and legal system as unattainable, but by breaking down the legal system for viewer understanding to a palatable piece of media, greater knowledge is obtained by the general public. This research defines the need for pregnant incarcerated individuals to be supported and seen while they’re behind bars. With these findings, an audience can draw a deeper understanding of the carceral system and a sympathy for its effects on pregnant people. By presenting these issues to a court of law, change can be made by preventing further trauma.