Safekeeping involves transferring individuals from jails to prisons without the presence of a conviction. In North Carolina, safekeeping is used for pregnant people with the aim of providing better prenatal care. We interviewed 14 stakeholders in the safekeeping process including sheriffs, clinicians, advocates, and lawyers. Three key themes emerged: jails' inability to provide care for pregnant individuals; safekeeping as an additional punishment to incarceration; and differing attitudes on the necessity of safekeeping. Participants perceived that while there may be some benefits of safekeeping such as enhanced prenatal care, safekeeping can also lead to worsened conditions for pregnant people experiencing incarceration.
Each year, approximately 55,000 pregnant people are incarcerated in US jails. To learn about pregnancy and postpartum care in jails, we analyzed 34 qualitative interviews with jail personnel from facilities in five Southeastern US states. Themes included jail processes unique to pregnancy and burden on jails produced by liability and limited resources. Societal attitudes such as stigma, distrust of pregnant people, and a focus on fetal well-being were also important themes. Jail-community partnerships may mitigate the effects of scarce resources and improve jail perinatal care. Better community safety nets that decrease contact with jails are needed to improve pregnancy outcomes.