Improving the health of pregnant and postpartum incarcerated women and their babies: An innovative prison-based program in urban Philadelphia

A grassroots community based organization serving women and their families in urban Philadelphia has implemented an innovative program to address the problems faced by women in prison who are pregnant or mothers of young children. The overarching goal of the MOMobile at Riverside program is to improve the health of pregnant and postpartum incarcerated women and their babies, and to help women acquire the resources and parenting skills they need to establish healthy families as they make the transition from prison to home. Program activities include a workshop series for pregnant and newly parenting women and direct case management services (both inside and upon re-entry). Three full-time staff members are based in the jail. An implementation evaluation was conducted to capture the innovative concepts of the program.

The goals of the evaluation were to: 1) document the internal dynamics of implementing a prison based support program for incarcerated pregnant and parenting women and 2) understand the innovative concepts of this program which could be replicated in other community-based programs.

The evaluation utilized multiple qualitative data sources including open-ended structured interviews, staff logs, and reviews of agency documents. A purposeful sample of key stakeholders from among the staff of the organization was selected and structured interviews conducted. A content analysis approach was used to sort through and organize the large volume of data generated by the in-depth interviews and the log entries. This process involved establishing a set of codes that corresponded directly to each stated objective, applying these codes to the data, and then organizing and grouping the data according to its specified code. Each transcript was analyzed separately by two investigators, who then met to compare the results of individual coding to check for inter-coder reliability.

Analysis indicates many strengths, challenges and unexpected circumstances. Some interesting findings emerged from the evaluation, including the coping strategies of front line staff in dealing with the oppressiveness of operating full-time within prison walls. Another major theme which emerged is the tremendous level of support for this program. Internally, the program receives full support from all levels of the organization, from the Executive Director to the front line staff. All personnel involved with the program are dedicated and enthusiastic. Externally, there is strong support from funders, the community and the prison system itself. The synergy created by all of these stakeholders is the key to successful implementation and maintenance of the program.