Organizations and individuals from a broad range of disciplines with a shared interest in enhancing perinatal health among incarcerated persons collaborate on a variety of initiatives to enhance the care and treatment of this population in North Carolina.

The UNC Collaborative for Maternal and Infant Health (CMIH) has received one-time CDC funding to address the care and treatment of pregnant and postpartum persons in local jails, including ways to mitigate COVID -19 among this highly vulnerable demographic of our community. CMIH is working with partners across the state, including those with lived experience to develop materials and trainings to best address care for this population.
Below is a visual of the pathway of incarceration with opportunities for change along that path that this project intends to create. This graphic also depicts key times to mitigate COVID-19 transmission.

The North Carolina Perinatal Health and Incarceration Working Group was formed in 2017 to connect organizations and leaders to create short and longer terms action steps to improve health outcomes for pregnant and postpartum women and their infants during and post-incarceration.
Click HERE to read more about the efforts of this working group and click HERE to read about how their advocacy efforts helped to shape the Dignity for Women who are Incarcerated Act (HB 608).
The North Carolina Perinatal Health and Incarceration Working Group serves as the advisory group for the current efforts led by CMIH to address care for this population in local jails.