The Cross-Center Collaboration on the Health of Justice-Involved Women and Children
February 18, 2025
About Us:
The Cross-Center Collaboration on the Health of Justice-Involved Women and Children (JIWC) is a group of formerly or currently HRSA-funded faculty, staff and students working on research, policy, training issues and topics at the intersection of incarceration and MCH. The JIWC is made up of the following Universities:
- University of Minnesota School of Public Health
- Emory Rollins School of Public Health
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
- University of Illinois Chicago School of Public Health
- John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
- University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Public Health
- Gillings School of Global Public Health
- Tulane University School of Public Health
Emory’s Involvement:
Over the past five years, the Emory MCH Center of Excellence has advanced research and training related to the health of justice-involved mothers and their children through the JIWC collaboration. This collaboration includes training, technical assistance, and resources to practitioners serving JIWC by creating a national directory of perinatal programs for incarcerated individuals. Additionally, the Collaboration hosts quarterly calls for experts, annual webinars highlighting lived experiences and PH professional efforts, and developed an MCH Navigator education module. Emory’s MCH CoE is committed to this Collaboration as it strengthens networks across CoE and Catalyst programs on issues at the intersection of incarceration and MCH.
What are we working on?
The collaborative is undertaking the following activities:
- A monthly newsletter that features timely research, resources, events, and community spotlights at the intersection of incarceration, pregnancy, and parenting
- A state and federal policy clearinghouse of laws and policies relevant to pregnant and postpartum people
- Policy briefs on incarceration policies
- Quarterly national network calls for practice-based experts (such as doulas from prison doula programs)
- Public webinars showcasing public health professionals working with justice-involved populations
- Collection and sharing of syllabi from MCH- and criminal justice-relevant courses taught by CoE faculty
- A web-based learning module that summarizes key issues
How are we partnering with community organizations, doula programs, and others?
The collaborative provides training, technical assistance and assistance working on “products” (briefs, reports, videos, etc.) for practitioners working with JIWC.
How are students getting involved?
Students affiliated with our MCHB-funded CoEs or Catalyst programs are integral to carrying out collaborative activities. Students participate in calls, are involved in all our efforts and receive formal and informal mentoring and coaching. If you are a student interested in getting involved, please contact Dr. Kaitlin Piper at KPIPER2@emory.edu.
