Breastfeeding Event

Prison Birth Project, the Siwatu Freedom Team, the American Friends Service Committee, Southeast Michigan IBCLCs of Color, the Michigan Breastfeeding Network, State Senator Erika Geiss, and more, joined together to discuss the critical need for a breastfeeding program in Women’s Huron Valley Correctional Facility (Michigan’s only prison for female-bodied people). The event was held via Zoom on November 20th, 2:00-3:30pm. Senator Erika Geiss delivered the opening remarks, followed by a panel and Q & A featuring directly impacted people, health experts, and advocates.

Speaker Line Up:

  • Senator Erika Geiss, Michigan State Senate

  • Siwatu-Salama Ra, Community Organizer, Siwatu Freedom Team

  • Natalie Holbrook, Program Director of AFSC's Criminal Justice Program

  • Dr. Deborah Landis-Lewis, St. Joseph Mercy Academic OB/GYN Center

  • Dr. Sekeita Lewis-Johnson, Co-Founder of Southeast Michigan IBCLCs of Color

  • Prison Birth Project Members on Breastfeeding During Incarceration: How Have State Prisons Made It Work? 

    On October 19th, the Pregnancy Standards of Care policy, formerly known as Senate Bill 830 in the 98th Michigan Legislature, was implemented by executive order of Governor Gretchen Whitmer. This policy directive mandates that pregnant and postpartum people are held in humane conditions and receive critical health services—its institution is momentous, and reflects years of hard work from our coalition of community stakeholders and State Senator Erika Geiss, the bill’s sponsor.


    Notably, the breastfeeding policy described in the original legislation was left out of this executive order. As described in former SB 830, the policy would “Require the MDOC to ensure that every incarcerated individual who had given birth within the last 12 months had an opportunity to breastfeed the individual's infant child, to express breast milk for the child, and to express breast milk for disposal, and to provide the individual with necessary supplies, including a breast pump and appropriate sanitary containers.” As originally written, this policy was met with significant resistance from MDOC, who seemed hesitant to take on any potential liability associated with storing/transporting breastmilk. Sen. Geiss came back with a plan to bring in a third-party community organization, Southeast Michigan IBCLC'S of Color (SEMI), who would assume the responsibility of milk transportation and storage. Still, MDOC resisted—and the disagreement led to the omission of the breast milk storage/transportation program from the Pregnancy Standards of Care executive order. 


    In response, Prison Birth Project is partnering with our coalition of community stakeholders to organize Breastfeeding in Michigan Prisons: Why It's Necessary. We aim to highlight the practicality of and need for a breastfeeding program in Women’s Huron Valley.