Until We End Prison Birth
We will support families through it with advanced doula care.
We can all have a role in reducing harm to families separated after giving birth in prison.
When a baby is born in prison, the first moments of life are often marked by separation. This loss affects both parent and child, shaping futures in ways that last far beyond the walls. By understanding the impact and working together for change, we can support families in staying connected, building resilience, and imagining a different beginning.
At Ostara Initiative, we believe transformation is possible. Through research, advocacy, and shared vision, we invite you to see not just what is, but what could be — until prison birth ends.
Our work challenges the destructive tendencies of for-profit prisons and closes the chasm between the carceral state and community-based support for pregnant people.
❊ Experience The Vision
Our founder and executive director, Erica Gerrity, LICSW, MSW, shares what “better” looks like for pregnant people in the carceral system.
This project was created with the generous support of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and the Constellation Fund.
We Must Do Better
What We Do
Prison Birth Doula Programs
We provide trauma-informed doula support to pregnant and postpartum people who are incarcerated, ensuring they are not alone during pregnancy, labor, or early parenthood. Our programs center dignity, compassion, and advocacy within carceral settings.
Advanced Doula Training
Our Advanced Prison Doula Certification equips experienced doulas with the specialized skills needed to support clients impacted by incarceration. Rooted in harm reduction and reproductive justice, this training prepares doulas to navigate complex systems with care and confidence.
Advocacy and Education
We work to transform systems through advocacy, public education, and partnerships that advance reproductive justice. From policy efforts to community engagement, we amplify the voices of directly impacted families and push for meaningful change.
❊ Our Story & Our Mission
The Ostara Initiative is women-founded and women-led, and our goal is to end prison birth in America.
Together as one organization, we share and spread what we have learned from our decade of work inside facilities, raise authentic voices and leaders among those directly impacted, and incubate innovation and change, inside and outside our nation’s criminal justice system.
❊ Prison Doula Programs
Explore Where We Serve
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The Minnesota Prison Doula Project offers comprehensive pregnancy support from trained doulas and group and individual education and support to justice-involved, pregnant people and parents. The goals are to nurture healthy parent-child relationships, increase parenting confidence and skills, reduce the intergenerational trauma of incarceration, and increase access to opportunities that build health, healing, and change.
Learn More | Minnesota Prison Doula Project
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In the Constitution of United States of America, the 8th Amendment states, “Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.” The goal of project EightA is to explore and create new patterns of thought, policy, and practice pertaining to justice-involved women and their children that are constitutionally-aligned and rooted in human rights-based standards. Several projects are incubated in eightA, including our collaboration with research partners, the Federal Bureau of Prisons, the Oregon Prison Birth Project, and the Wisconsin Prison Birth Project.
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The Oregon Prison Birth Project began with a commitment to providing compassionate care for incarcerated pregnant women. Inspired by similar programs and supported by the passage of Oregon House Bill 2535 in 2023, the Oregon Prison Birth Project now brings essential doula services to prisons, ensuring dignity and support during childbirth.
Follow @oregonprisonbirthproject on social media to learn more about our work, support our mission, and help amplify the voices of those we serve.
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Launched in 2025, the Wisconsin Prison Birth Project (WPBP) of the Ostara Initiative supports pregnant and postpartum people in Wisconsin’s correctional system. Led by doulas and advocates with lived experience, the program offers prenatal education, birth and postpartum support, lactation assistance, and parenting groups. Rooted in trauma-informed and culturally responsive care, the WPBP works to uphold dignity, improve health outcomes, and strengthen family bonds for incarcerated parents and their children.
❊ Inspired?
Choose Your Next Step
Join us in advancing dignity-centered care for pregnant and parenting people in prison. Your support helps sustain programs, advocacy, and education that create lasting change for families.
❊ Donate
Deepen your understanding of pregnancy and birth in prison. Explore data, stories, and studies that illuminate the realities of incarceration and the possibilities for reform.
❊ Understand
We welcome collaboration and conversation. Reach out to discuss strategic partnerships, speaking opportunities, or other ways to engage with our work.