• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
Incarcerated Women’s Health

Incarcerated Women’s Health

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.

  • About
  • Subscribe
  • Women & Families
  • Healthcare Professionals
  • Corrections & Legal Professionals

Search Incarcerated Women’s Health

Information for Women and Families

Review the handout to learn more about the Dignity Act, key maternal health information, and how to report a violation of the Dignity Act

  • Know Your Rights
  • Bail Assistance
  • Substance Use Treatment Services
  • Resources for Incarcerated Parents and their Children
  • Reentry Support
  • Information on COVID for Pregnant and Postpartum Persons

Dignity for Women Who are Incarcerated Act– In December 2021, North Carolina enacted a new law to provide important protections and care for female incarcerated persons related to pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum recovery.
Click HERE to read the law.
Click HERE for a video summary of the Dignity Act by Dr. Kerianne Crockett
Handouts discussing the Dignity Act, key maternal health information, and how to report a violation (English and Spanish).

File a complaint of the Dignity Act not being followed within local NC jails

To file a complaint with the NC Division of Health Service Regulation (DHSR) regarding lack of Dignity Act compliance in local jails. Please click HERE for info on how to file complaints.

The North Carolina Community Bail Fund of Durham– A special bail fund for pregnant persons has been developed. You are encouraged to reach out to the North Carolina Community Bail Fund to seek assistance.

Contact the UNC Horizons Substance Use Disorder Program and Legal Services for help seeking substance use treatment services for incarcerated women, including pregnant and parenting women upon arrest and at any point during incarceration, including post-release. For more information call 919-903-0591

Contact the Alcohol and Drug Council of NC to access available services statewide for pregnant and postpartum women, including those with dependent children, along with the general population who have a substance-related disorder.

For more information about services visit or call alcoholdrughelp.org 1-800-688-4232.

Our Children’s Place of Coastal Horizons Center is a statewide program committed to the children of incarcerated parents. They aim to be the leading North Carolina advocate and educational resource focused on these children and the need for a statewide response to ensure their well-being. Click HERE for more information.

Families Impacted by Incarceration Tip Sheet: Supporting Relationships Between Children and Their Incarcerated Parents Find more resources from the National Resource Center on Children and Families of the Incarcerated at Rutgers University HERE.

Upon leaving prison or jail in North Carolina, individuals are encouraged to contact Phyllis “Grandma” Hardy from the National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls. She works across the state to help connect women to services and resources to help them reenter society and reduce the risk of recidivism.

Call 252-883-0048 or Email phardy@thecouncil.us.

The Nash, Edgecombe and Wilson (NEW) Reentry Council is a coalition of community stakeholders collaborating to reduce and eliminate barriers to successful reentry.

Doctors, nurses, researchers, and community health care workers provide facts and dispel misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccines in THIS FAQ video series. Find key answers to questions about the COVID vaccine, pregnancy, and fertility from OBGYNs, a nurse, and a midwife HERE.

Kristie Puckett Williams discusses the NC Law Dignity for Women Who are Incarcerated

UNC CMIH logo
Copyright © 2025 · Incarcerated Women's Health · All Rights Reserved · Website by Tomatillo Design