This book was an eye-opening exploration of the experiences of pregnant women incarcerated in U.S. prisons. Rebecca Rodriguez Carey highlights the intersection of motherhood and incarceration, revealing how systemic carceral controls affect both maternal and fetal well-being. The book combines a reproductive justice framework with raw, personal stories, challenging readers to confront the realities of reproductive rights behind bars. It’s an essential read that sheds light on an often-overlooked population and sparks important conversations about justice and humanity. I’m grateful to the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC. I look forward to future works from the author.

Birth Behind Bars, the carceral control of pregnant women in prison by Rebecca M Rodriguez Carey, I noticed nowadays when books are written on prison in prison inmates it’s all about making you feel sorry for the prisoner and I get that and sometimes people are worth are sympathy, but I found most of these interviews. We’re done with women who were no longer in prison, and I saw nothing saying, she investigated and found facts that what these women said were true, although I believe most of it. there were other things in the book that made me question the accuracy or. believability of the story, For one thing, she said it’s hard for black women not to feel stereotype by the term, welfare queen, and that moms who do drugs while pregnant are looked at as bad mothers…hello. this is something I can say from experience. I know white women who have multiple children and just keep getting Food Stamps not wanting to better their lives. Secondly, when I was addicted to pain pills I got pregnant twice and both times I stopped doing drugs you know why because I knew it would hurt my baby. I mean, that is a true definition of a bad mother drugs hurt your baby. If you do drugs and you’re pregnant you’re a bad mother. during one of the white women’s interviews, she said when she was arrested, she was white so didn’t suffer from systemic racism as if she had it better in prison because she was white. Some of these stories are truly heartbreaking, but as far as these women being in prison IDK, you break the law that’s where you go I guess? as young kids like to say and there’s my new favorite saying when you play stupid games, you win stupid prizes. I don’t know what the answer is, but as far as women being under state control and having no autonomy while pregnant I guess because the prison’s only absolute is that they want to birth a healthy baby. The mother‘s needs and wants in their mind or irrelevant, which is sad because that should be a special time when giving birth to your child and shame on the people in charge but as for the rest again, IDK don’t go to jail? too many things in this country are underfunded or don’t exist, but you have nine months until your baby is born. I wish I had a magic solution so no baby would be born in prison but sadly I don’t and this book only made me sad, not due to the racist overtones but the women themselves. I mean, how can one woman grow up in a drug infested, dysfunctional household, and become a lawyer and a professor and another one become a crystal meth attic and a prison inmate it boggles the mind, but ultimately goes back to because everyone has a choice. sadly, when making that choice, it depends on the guidance or lack there of of what your choice will be. Such a sad, sad world we live in. #NetGalley, #RebeccaMRodriguezCarey, #BirthBehindBars,

This is a very timely book. I admit I knew little
about this topic before going into it, and I really value the time and effort the author made into bringing readers into the know. It’s very scary how little research has been done on pregnant women in prison . especially women of color. I’m so glad this research was done and I think it should be shared widely and discussed on a much higher-level basis, because it’s clear this is a very important issue

Due to a NetGalley glitch I wasn’t able to complete this book - it removed itself from my library and wouldn’t redownload. However what I did read before this happened was well written and intriguing. It was well researched, and also heartbreaking. Only giving it 4 stars rather than 5 as as a fellow pregnancy loss survivor it was distressing for me to read about the woman who tripped going to her appointment and fell on her belly only to tragically lose her baby. However, the author wrote the true accounts with great compassion and respect for the inmates. A book if it comes across my path in the future I will definitely pick up to complete.

This book was interesting and also heartbreaking. It truly proves that we need serious reform in our prisons in America.

This was an eye opening book to read. To read about Wharton women endure during birthing a child is anmazing. Giving birth behind bars adds to this. This book is a must read. It will give one pause and think. Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the ARC of this book in return for my honest opinion. Receiving the book in this manner has no bearing on my thoughts.

Thank you to Rebecca Rodriguez Carey and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book. All opinions are my own.

As a mother of seven this was a very powerful yet difficult read. I can't imagine giving birth in conditions like this. The story being told here is powerful and needs to be told louder and more widespread. I can't say I know what the perfect solution is but it definitely sparked something in me to see these conditions changed for both the women and their children.

Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read this book in advance.

I’m not sure how I feel about this book. I definitely went into in with preconceived notions. There were alot of opinions in it but also a lot of information. I’ve read it most ago and I’m still trying to process my views on it. Thanks for such a thought provoking book.

Birth Behind Bars: The Carceral Control of Pregnant Women in Prison by Rebecca Rodriguez Carey
Publication Date: June 17/25

Prisons do not disappear social problems, they disappear human beings.
Angela Davis

An eye-opening and well researched examination of the experiences of women who give birth while imprisoned. Grounded in personal interviews, and supported by extensive research this book sheds light on the dehumanizing realities of prison life, realities that are intensified for pregnant women.

It explores how the prison system, in conjunction with the medical and child welfare institutions imposed layers of surveillance and control resulting in a constant state of insecurity that threatens the well being of mothers and children.

The book is structured around the phases of this journey - pre incarceration, pregnancy & incarceration, childbirth, separation from their baby, and release. Through this framework, it reveals the systemic forces of poverty, racism and social marginalization that shape these women’s lives before, during and after prison.

While the book is academic in tone - which may not appeal to all readers - it is a vital resource for anyone interested in the intersectionality of gender, incarceration, healthcare, social services and social justice. I would have loved to have the voices of the women even more amplified.

This book will open your eyes to injustices you did not know existed. It is an essential read for anyone interested in reproductive justice and the criminal legal system.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book! Below is my honest review.

This book sheds light on one of the most vulnerable people in the world: pregnant women in prison. None of this information shocked me, per say, but it does make me incredibly frustrated that prisoners, not just pregnant women, are treated in such an inhumane way. This is certainly a call for action. I hope people read this and become more sympathetic. Anyone interested in social justice or healthcare should read this!

Pregnancy is one of the most vulnerable moments of a woman's life, and women are already at a disadvantage in the U.S. today, with laws in many states that protect only the fetus at the expense of the mother's life. Despite research into women's health, fertility, pregnancy, and the laws around it, I had never read much on women who give birth while incarcerated. This book is incredibly important, and Rodriguez Carey does an excellent job presenting her research, demonstrating how the prison system works in tangent with other systems, like medical health and welfare. I recommend this for anyone who works in healthcare or social services, and in general to anyone who wants to educate themselves on an important but rarely discussed issue in the U.S.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this eARC in exchange for an honesty review.

This is an important, informative book that is well worth checking out!

Birth Behind Bars introduces the model of the maternal web of control, a framework explaining how various systems work together and overlap to control and subjugate pregnant and parenting women and punish both women and their families. The author, Rebecca M. Rodriguez Carey, is an assistant professor of Sociology and Criminology at Emporia State University. A native of Kansas, Carey focuses in on pregnant women in rural prisons, a choice that made me connect with this book on an even deeper level due to my own rural background.

This book hooked me from the start, drawing me in with women's personal stories and sharing details that stunned me, even with my prior knowledge of the prison industrial complex. Carey identifies an astonishing gap in the data, sharing that there is little to no information collected about pregnant women in prisons. Birth Behind Bars is an incredible step toward raising awareness of the experiences of incarcerated women - most of which are deeply traumatic. This is a must read for anyone engaging in work around abolition and prison reform.

While I think this is beyond the scope of Carey's book, I often found myself wondering about the experiences of women in US immigration detention centers. I would love to see further research into this area and more information about how individuals can support pregnant women who are being detained and deported.

Thank you to NYU Press for providing me with an eARC of this book. Birth Behind Bars releases on June 17, 2025.

DNF @ 25%

I was so excited going into this thinking it would feature experiences from different women. Instead, we got a whole lot of opinions sprinkled with just enough input from a woman or two to support the author's view.

As another reviewer stated, it's more like the author wrote this as reading material for her college class.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a really interesting look at a topic that I think is underexplored - the number of women who give birth each year in US prisons and how the experience impacts them. The author has done a number of interviews with women who have had this experience and she explores how our attitudes towards pregnancy and pregnant women -- combined with the additional layers of disdain or disregard for people in prison -- determine the material reality for women in this situation. The author is an academic and that does come through in the writing - some reviewers didn't care for that, but I didn't find it to be a difficult read. I received a copy of this via NetGalley.

First I would like to thank the publisher for giving me an early copy of this book to review! Birth Behind Bars is exactly what you think it is. It explores just about every avenue of having babies behind bars. It was so interesting to read what happens and how these women are treated. The only thing I did not like was how it kinda seemed like I was reading a research paper. But I could get past that!

Buckle up y’all
I was so excited to receive this book for an early review from the publisher. I thought it was about something I really enjoy, pregnancy and birth. As a birth worker I am constantly trying to read and learn more to benefit the care I provide. However within the first 40 pages of the “introduction” I realized that instead of this book being about the actual stories of the women who were pregnant behind bars, it was an academic paper heavily littered with the authors opinion on things like abortion, prison, religion, politics, and the healthcare system. This alone wouldn’t be a major problem except the opinions are so dangerous and rooted in falsehoods. The author generalized pregnancy in the U.S. as an awful experience. Stating that all women experience birth trauma within the healthcare provided. Stating their autonomy is stripped from them. Even going as far as using medical terminology that is made up (cesarean check). The author delivers a dangerous fear mongering style for any women who read this that plan on becoming pregnant. She also in the first chapter illustrates that prison as a choice is just an “idea” and “stigma.” And later on stating that the healthcare system incarcerates pregnant women by doing routine blood pressure checks and fetal ultrasounds and that these numbers will be used against them later. Also false. These numbers are used to find women who are high risk that might otherwise be missed leading to maternal mortality. While she addresses the difference between black and white maternal deaths, this gap would be even wider if routine prenatal care was not a standard. She also describes sex work and drug trafficking as characteristics of “devout” Christianity. Add in that this book is listed at $89 on targets website and I conclude that the author wrote her own textbook to use in the classes she teaches.

Birth Behind Bars by Rebecca M. Rodriguez Carey is a powerful, thought-provoking exploration of the intersection between pregnancy, motherhood, and incarceration. The book sheds light on a side of the justice system that is often overlooked—how women in prison navigate the challenges of pregnancy, childbirth, and raising children within the confines of a correctional facility.

Carey’s writing is both empathetic and informative, providing a deeply human look at the experiences of incarcerated women. Through the lens of these women’s stories, the book paints a vivid picture of the emotional and physical struggles they face, while also highlighting the resilience, strength, and bond they share with their children. Carey’s ability to capture the nuances of these women’s lives, from the trauma of their past to their hopes for the future, makes the narrative compelling and difficult to put down.

One of the standout elements of Birth Behind Bars is the way it humanizes women who are often seen as “criminals” by society, offering a broader perspective on the complexities of their lives and the systemic issues they face. The book is full of personal stories and interviews that provide invaluable insight into the realities of giving birth in prison, including the lack of adequate healthcare, emotional support, and the challenge of maintaining a connection with children after birth.

While the book is deeply emotional and eye-opening, it is also a call to action. Carey urges readers to rethink their views on the criminal justice system, especially when it comes to women and motherhood. She explores the need for reform and the importance of providing better care and resources for incarcerated women, particularly those who are pregnant or giving birth.

Overall, Birth Behind Bars is a moving and enlightening read that brings attention to a critical issue often ignored by mainstream discourse. It’s a poignant reminder of the need for empathy, reform, and a more compassionate approach to incarceration. Anyone interested in social justice, criminal reform, or the experiences of women in prison will find this book both enlightening and impactful.

This is a very informative book that is true to its title. This book feels like a thorough analysis of the treatment of pregnant women in prison throughout their pregnancies and births. We follow a few women in this book with powerful stories, but the writing is bogged down with technical research paper style writing that is often repetitive. An important book but not an easy read.

3.5 stars

I was already interested in the topic even before I got the book, so I'm really grateful to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me read a preview. But I'll be honest: the opinion I'm reporting is based on my own reading experience.

I have to say, this book is extremely well structured. It's an essay that's clearly and logically constructed. The topic is really well explored, and it's not a pretty picture. It's pretty shocking how pregnant women are treated in prisons and how childbirth is handled in these facilities. Bringing back the past of some of the main characters really makes the experience feel more real and makes the reader feel more empathy. I also found the research to be interesting and well organized.

But I was disappointed that the essay doesn't really address the shortcomings of the prison system when it comes to pregnant and postpartum inmates. It's more of a dissertation, and it might be off-putting for some readers. To be honest, the text is a bit hard to follow at first because it's written in a way that's more like a dissertation than something easy for the average reader to understand.

This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but I would've liked to have known about it earlier so I could've approached the reading better. Maybe it would've been good to point it out in the intro and explain the type of content that was going to be read. Either way, it's an interesting read. I recommend it because, no matter what the topic is, it's a thought-provoking text about how we run our society and what improvements we might need.

PLEASE NOTE: A fully completed review will ben published on my blog (https://medium.com/@inabookhole) on June 19 and on my social (Instagram and Reddit).