Choose To Challenge Maternal Imprisonment

This week it's International Women's Day and Mother's Day. We're choosing to challenge maternal imprisonment.

This year International Women’s Day we are asking you to join us and #ChooseToChallenge Maternal Imprisonment. At a time when the Government has just announced plans to build 500 new prison places for women and as the pandemic continues to impact on prisoners’ mental health and wellbeing, we're teamed up with Birth Companions to challenge the sentencing of pregnant women and mothers of young children.

Between International Women's Day on Monday 8 March and Mother's Day on Sunday 14 March we have a series of actions you can take. You can documentment your progress and encourage others to take up th challenge on social media. Use the hastages #ChooseToChallenge and #MaternalImprisonment

1. Book tickets to our event - Disrupted Lives: #ChooseToChallenge Maternal Imprisonment
2. Look up Birth Companions and find out more about their work.
3. Follow Birth Companions, Agenda, Advance, Hibiscus and Women in Prison on social media. 
4. Find out where the most local women’s prison is to you and how many women are held there.
5. Find out where the most local mother and baby unit is to you and how many women are held there.
6. Find out where the closest Women's Centre is to you and the work they do to provide support to women affected by the criminal justice system.
7. Read this article on being pregnant in prison.
8. Read Lucy Baldwin's article on the importance of working with maternal emotion compassionately.
9. Check out Dr. Shona Minson's blog and her speech from our event - Disrupted Lives. 
10. Share something you've learnt on social media.
11. Talk about maternal imprisonment to another person and tell them about something new you've learnt.
12. Write to your MP asking them to stop the plans to increase the number of prison cells for women by 500. Read Birth Companion's statement and instructions on how to contact your MP.