Amina Slimane, Kimberly Reese and Antone Washington, “Pregnant in Wisconsin Prison”
Mentor: Sean Kafer, Film, Video, Animation, & New Genres, Arts (Peck School of the)
Oral Presentation: 9:30am Union E240
For over 30 years, Wisconsin law has required the Department of Corrections (DOC) to let incarcerated mothers keep their infants for the first year. Yet, until recently, this law was ignored. Alyssa, serving time at Robert E. Ellsworth Correctional Center, gave birth in custody. She endured humiliating prenatal visits in handcuffs and was forced to part with her newborn, Bentley, just one day after his birth, an illegal act under state law. Later, she learned about Wisconsin statute 301.049, which mandates such programs. With help from a fellow inmate, she brought it to her public defender, eventually connecting with the ACLU of Wisconsin. The DOC still denied her request, calling the law “outdated and unfunded.” A Dane County Circuit Court ruled in favor of the ACLU’s lawsuit, ordering the immediate implementation of the Mother-Young Child Care Program. Incarcerated mothers in Wisconsin can now keep their infants after ACLU’s recent case winning.