OSTARA INITIATIVE
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  • Home
  • About
    • Mission + History
    • Leadership
    • Board of Directors
    • DEI Statement
    • Funders and Supporters
  • Programs
    • Oregon Prison Birth Project
  • Vision Class
  • Certification Information
    • National Certified Prison Doula Directory
  • Advanced Certification
  • Research + Policy
  • Read + Watch
  • Donate
  • Connect
​© Ostara Initiative a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation. All Rights Reserved 2023

​Research + Policy

Ostara Peer-Reviewed Publications
Full Text PDFs available from Dr. Rebecca Shlafer upon request.

Shlafer, R. J., Gerrity, E., Norris, C., Freeman-Cook, R., & B Sufrin, C. (2022). Justice for Incarcerated Moms Act of 2021: Reflections and recommendations. Women's Health, 18, 17455057221093037.

Howland, M. A., Kotlar, B., Davis, L., & Shlafer, R. J. (2021). Depressive symptoms among pregnant and postpartum women in prison. Journal of Midwifery & Women's Health, 66(4), 494-502.

Pendleton, V. E., Schmitgen, E. M., Davis, L., & Shlafer, R. J. (2021). Caregiving Arrangements and Caregiver Well-being when Infants are Born to Mothers in Prison. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 1-14.

Shlafer, R., Davis, L., Hindt, L., & Pendleton, V. (2021). The benefits of doula support for women who are pregnant in prison and their newborns. In Children with Incarcerated Mothers (pp. 33-48). Springer, Cham.

Shlafer, R., Saunders, J.B., Boraas, C. M., Kozhimannil, K. B., Mazumder, N., & Freese, R. Maternal and neonatal outcomes among incarcerated women who gave birth in custody. Birth. 2021; 48, 122–131. https://doi.org/10.1111/birt.12524 
 
Pendleton, V., Saunders, J. B., & Shlafer, R. (2020). Corrections officers’ knowledge and perspectives of maternal and child health policies and programs for pregnant women in prison. Health & Justice, 8(1), 1.
 
Shlafer, R., Hardman, R., Carlson, E. (2019). Reproductive justice for incarcerated mothers and advocacy for their infants and young children. Infant Mental Health, 40(5), 725-74. 

Shlafer, R., Davis, L., Hindt, L., Goshin, L., & Gerrity, E. (2018). Intention and Initiation of Breastfeeding Among Women Who Are Incarcerated. Nursing for Women’s Health, 22(1), 64-78.  
 
Shlafer, R., Stang, J., Dallaire, D., Forestell, C. A., & Hellerstedt, W. (2017). Best Practices for Nutrition Care of Pregnant Women in Prison.  Journal of Correctional Health Care, 23(3), 297-304. 

Shlafer, R., Gerrity, E. & Duwe, G. (2015). Pregnancy and Parenting Support for Incarcerated Women: Lessons Learned. Progress in Community Health Partnerships: Research Education and Action, 9(3), 371-378.
 
Shlafer, R., Hellerstedt, W., Secor-Turner, M., Gerrity, E., & Baker, R. (2014).  Doulas’ perspectives about providing support to incarcerated women: A feasibility study.  Public Health Nursing, 32(4), 316–326.​
Other Research & Articles
  • An International Human Rights Perspective on Maternal Criminal Justice Involvement in the United States
  • Pregnancy Outcomes in US Prisons, 2016–2017
  • Reproductive Health Care and Family Planning Needs Among Incarcerated Women​
  • Imprisonment and Women’s Health: Concerns About Gender Sensitivity, Human Rights and Public Health
  • Where Does Your State Stand on Shackling Pregnant Incarcerated Women?
  •  A Radical Model for Decriminalization: Young Women’s Freedom Movement
  • State Standards for Pregnancy-Related Health Care and Abortion for Women In Prison
  • Health Outcomes of Incarcerated Pregnant Women and Their Infants in a Community-Based Program
  • Health Care of Pregnant Women in U.S. State Prisons
  • Stress Proliferation Across Generations? Examining the Relationship Between Parental Incarceration and Childhood Health
  • Trans Incarceration
  • Cochrane Review of Continuous Support in Pregnancy
Position Statements
  • ICE Detention Standards on the Medical Care of Women​
  • World Health Organizations Statement on Cesarean Rates
  • Nursing Care of Incarcerated Women During Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period - AWHONN
  • AWHONN Statement on Shackling and Pregnancy
  • March of Dimes Position Paper on Doulas
  • Health Care for Pregnant and Postpartum Incarcerated Women and Adolescent Females - American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
  • Shackling and Separation: Motherhood In Prison - American Medical Association
  • ​Bangkok Rules
  • National Commission on Correctional Health Care Position on Restraint of Pregnant Incarcerated People
Books
  • Jail Care
  • The Body Keeps the Score
  • Killing The Black Body
  • The New Jim Crow
  • Resistance Behind Bars
  • Health Issues Among Incarcerated Women
  • Medical Apartheid
  • Medical Bondage: Race, Gender, and the Origins of American Gynecology​
  • Just Mercy
Legislation
  • Minnesota’s Anti-Shackling Law
  • Dignity Acts
  • Oklahoma’s Anti-Shackling Law
  • First Step Act

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Minneapolis, Minnesota 55418
Phone: 612-440-9682

OSTARA INITIATIVE IS A 501(C)(3) TAX EXEMPT ORGANIZATION
82-4855661​
©2025 Ostara Initiative. All rights reserved.
  • Home
  • About
    • Mission + History
    • Leadership
    • Board of Directors
    • DEI Statement
    • Funders and Supporters
  • Programs
    • Oregon Prison Birth Project
  • Vision Class
  • Certification Information
    • National Certified Prison Doula Directory
  • Advanced Certification
  • Research + Policy
  • Read + Watch
  • Donate
  • Connect