Advanced Prison Doula Trainings
Advanced Prison Doula Certification
Become certified as an Advanced Prison Doula and deepen your ability to support pregnant and parenting people impacted by incarceration.
As part of our harm reduction approach to ending prison birth, Ostara Initiative offers an Advanced Prison Doula Certification designed for experienced doulas working in carceral settings.
A Training Rooted in Experience and Justice
This certification program prepares doulas to provide skilled, trauma-informed care to individuals navigating pregnancy, birth, and postpartum while involved in the criminal legal system.
Our training is grounded in reproductive justice and led by facilitators with decades of combined experience—as doulas and as formerly incarcerated or directly impacted birthing people. We are deeply committed to centering lived experience and elevating the voices of those most affected.
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Ostara Initiative is seeking to teach, mentor, and certify trained and experienced birthworkers who are already working with justice-impacted populations and those who have a direct pathway to working within carceral settings, including juvenile detention, immigrant detention, community corrections, jails, and prisons.
To ensure we are able to properly mentor each doula who completes the training workshop, we are only able to offer a limited number of spaces at each training. We will be saving every applicant's contact information and reaching out about future training opportunities, so if you are not selected to attend an upcoming training, you will be able to apply to one in the future.
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Core learning includes:
Creating culturally congruent teams
Centering lived experience in your work
A prison doula's "Scope of Practice "
Understanding the prison landscape
Pathways to incarceration
Tracing the history of systemic oppression
Trauma, addiction, and mental health
Nutrition within carceral settings
Boundaries, safety, and self care for the doula
How children are impacted by incarceration
Reunification and resources
Supporting birth as a prison doula
Supporting separation as a prison doula
Supporting postpartum as a prison doula
Program evaluation
Advocacy and access
Lactation within carceral settings
Prenatal education within carceral settings
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The training and certification fee will be announced as each workshop is planned and will not including travel or lodging costs. There may be opportunities for full and partial scholarships. These opportunities will be announced as workshops are planned.
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Equity and inclusion are foundational elements of Ostara’s community. To make the Advanced Prison Doula Training and Certification more accessible, we may provide scholarships.
It is important to us that we create a deep sense of belonging at this training and in the birth work community. Ostara Initiative values vast dimensions of diversity and strives to uplift all interested birth workers, especially those belonging to BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, disabled, and justice-impacted communities. We encourage everyone to apply.
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Upon successful completion of the training, exam, and mentorship requirements, participants will receive a lifetime Advanced Prison Doula Certification through Ostara Initiative.
Certified doulas are also included in a national registry maintained by Ostara Initiative. This registry is shared with correctional facilities and partner organizations seeking to provide doula support to incarcerated pregnant and postpartum individuals.
This certification is more than a credential. It is a commitment to showing up with skill, integrity, and humanity in spaces where it is needed most.
Join us for the next Advanced Doula Training ▸ Sign up for Training Updates!
We will reach back out via email for updates on our next Advanced Doula Training and certification opportunity when you complete our “Receive Training Updates” form! Have other questions? Let us know via Contact Us.
Upcoming Advanced Prison Doula Certification Training in Montgomery, AL in 2026
Dates to be announced. Sign up for updates.
What You’ll Learn
Participants will gain the tools and knowledge to:
Provide trauma-informed, culturally responsive doula care in carceral settings
Navigate institutional policies and constraints while advocating for clients
Support clients through complex emotional experiences, including separation and loss
Build trust and maintain ethical, client-centered care in restrictive environments
Practice harm reduction in the context of incarceration and birth
What to Expect
Acceptance into the Advanced Prison Doula Certification includes:
In-Person Training Workshop
An immersive, hands-on training designed to build practical skills, deepen understanding, and foster community among participants.
Certification Exam
A comprehensive assessment to ensure readiness to provide advanced-level care in carceral settings.
Ongoing Mentorship
Six required monthly mentorship sessions with fellow trainees and an experienced prison doula, offering continued learning, support, and reflection.
❊ Training Feedback
Hear what others have said about our training:
The MNPDP training in Alabama was a transformative experience in many ways. From the meaningful, lasting connections I made to the tools I was able to bring back to my community, it continues to have a real impact both on my personal growth and in the work I do with people who are incarcerated.
— Rebecca M., Participant
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Participating in the prison doula training through the Ostara Initiative was a deeply grounding experience for BirthRoot Community Doula's team. The training helped us understand how to work more effectively and efficiently within systems that were explicitly designed to dehumanize us—and how to still hold space for compassion, dignity, and advocacy in the midst of them. We learned the importance of maintaining access to the prison while standing firm in our values, ensuring that incarcerated birthing people receive consistent, culturally rooted care and genuine support.
— Tica, Participant
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Custom
Training
Requests
Ostara Initiative is happy to consider specialized training requests tailored to organizations, educators, and practitioners interested in deepening their understanding of pregnancy, birth, and parenting in prison. If you’re interested in a customized training or workshop, please complete the form below to share more about your needs and goals.
Questions about the next Advanced Prison Doula Training should be directed to our Contact Us page. We also encourage you to sign up for updates to be notified when new training opportunities become available.
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