"Autumn had been assured by her attorney and prosecutors that she would be allowed to remain in St. Paul, Minn., with her child under a downward departure sentencing with strict supervision. But the judge overruled that agreement and sentenced Autumn to 32 months in prison. That's when the walls closed in on her. I'm going to deliver this baby in a prison surrounded by real criminals, she thought to herself. How could I mother behind bars?"
"Thankfully, Autumn was wrong about the women she was incarcerated with. They were not too different from her; they were nurturers who reassured her that she had options for protecting her baby. One woman suggested that Autumn request support through Minnesota's Prison Doula Project. Having worked with a doula for the birth of her first child, Autumn leapt at the chance to have that same support this go round and quickly signed up."
Autumn Mason was eight months pregnant when she received a 32-month prison sentence despite prior assurances she could remain in St. Paul with her child under strict supervision. She feared delivering in prison and questioned how to mother from behind bars. The women she was incarcerated with provided reassurance and suggested contacting Minnesota's Prison Doula Project. Having used a doula previously, she signed up and was matched quickly because of her advanced pregnancy. Even with doula support, her final prenatal care included infrequent appointments and a disturbing visit with a medical professional who nearly prescribed medication from the wrong chart.
Read at The Nation
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