Prison Operations Manual, M.03.02.04-05
First, either a registered midwife or a medical officer with obstetric qualifications will give you a full antenatal assessment. Each prison has 24-hour access to hospital and community-based obstetric and midwifery services. An individual health care plan will be developed for you and incorporated into your Case Management Plan. You’ll be offered counselling and information about pregnancy from qualified counsellors including advice about guardianship, early/temporary release, community support options, adoptions and pregnancy terminations (“abortion”).
You and the prison staff will decide your maternity care together. If you have a local midwife or doctor, you’ll be allowed to keep them.
You can also attend antenatal and parenting programmes. You’ll either be escorted out to such programmes or, if there are enough women, classes will be held inside the prison.
You can involve your partner or support person in decisions and activities relating to your pregnancy and you can have them attend the birth.