PRISON DOULA
Laura Sweeney and Monique Peterson

Main Entry: dou-la
Pronunciation: \'dü-la\
Function: noun
Etymology: Mod Greek, female helper, maidservant, from Greek doulé female slave
Date: 1981
: a woman experienced in childbirth who provides advice, information, emotional support, and physical comfort to a mother before, during, and just after childbirth.

In the last 30 years the number of women in prison has increased by 832%, 4-5% of these women are pregnant, many of whom learn so by the mandatory pregnancy test they take when they enter prison. Pregnancy, childbirth, postpartum care, and becoming a mother are challenging enough without the red tape and physical realities of being behind bars. These pregnant inmates must face so many seemingly insurmountable challenges, what could one possibly do to help them?

Doulas offer support with out judgment, they provide information and advocate for pregnant women's needs. PRISON DOULA is a show about an incredible, courageous and impassioned doula who crosses bars, shackles, and red tape to provide imprisoned pregnant women with the support and care that any woman desires to maintain the sacredness of their pregnancy and birth.

We take you behind bars with the Prison Doula as she makes her rounds. She meets women who are new arrivals and tells them about her 24 hour doula service, she teaches a class for birth preparation, holds their shackled hands as they are transported to the hospital, walks them through tough decisions for her child, foster care, dealing with outside relatives, applying to competitive programs to live in a residential prison with her baby. Prison Doula goes home for the night and processes everything she sees, hunts for information for her ladies and prepares herself to have her heart broken over and over as she walks through fire with these women in dramatic mix of miracle and tragedy.