Transformative Doula Care
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Reproductive Justice. Abolition. Companionship.
Why TDC?
We are an advocacy and service, volunteer-led community doula collective aimed at providing abortion care & companionship. TDC was founded after noticing a gap in abortion care provision: abortion care and companionship for people that are (formerly or presently) incarcerated and their loved ones. The reproductive rights of people that are incarcerated are continually denied and the reproductive health of thousands of individuals suffers as a result. We set out to address this gap in care and advocate for the reproductive rights of people that are incarcerated. We also aim to provide general sexual and reproductive health resources and education to people that are incarcerated and raise awareness for the injustices. We recognize that individuals are harmed by the Prison Industrial Complex beyond carceral facilities and work to integrate doulas into the fight for abolition and provide care to others more broadly impacted by surveillance, policing, and the carceral system.
FAQ
Q: What is doula care?
A companion or professional who is trained in childbirth, postpartum, miscarriage, or abortion care who provides emotional, physical, and educational support to a person. Their purpose is to help people have a safe and empowering experience.
Q: What is special about abortion doulas?
Abortion doulas provide care and companionship before, during, and after an abortion, with support varying by patient and their informational, emotional, physical, and practical needs.
Q: What is the medical industrial complex?
The medical–industrial complex is a network of interactions between pharmaceutical corporations, health care personnel, and medical conglomerates to supply health care-related products and services for a profit.
Q: What is the prison industrial complex?
As explained by abolitionist organization Critical Resistance, “the Prison Industrial Complex (PIC) is a term we use to describe the overlapping interests of government and industry that use surveillance, policing, and imprisonment as solutions to economic, social, and political problems.”
Q: What is it like to have an abortion while incarcerated?
Incarcerated people have to pay for their abortion and transportation. If they do not have access to funding it impacts their access to an abortion. If they do receive the funds, JPay will flag their accounts if a large sum of money is deposited. They have to wait until the flag on their account is lifted. During surgical abortions they can be shackled depending on what the provider wants.
Q: What prison policies hinder reproductive health?
There are many direct and indirect policies that impact perinatal health: individuals might not having access to quality healthcare generally or prenatal care, might be shackled during pregnancy, and might not having timely and affordable access to dignifying abortion care. Individuals might not be able to find quality pads in after procedures or access medication to support postpartum emotions.
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Q: How is the prison system contradictory to reproductive health?
Reproductive justice advocates believe in the human right to maintain personal bodily autonomy. Incarcerated people do not have autonomy in the prison industrial complex.