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Colorado Nonprofit Receives $2,000 Award to Share the Realities of Pregnancy During Incarceration
DENVER— Thousands of people with the capacity for pregnancy are incarcerated annually, some of whom are forced to give birth during the process. Inspired by elephants who give birth within a circle of support, in 2009 the Elephant Circle 501(C)(3) birth justice organization was formed. Bringing an intersectional, feminist, reproductive justice, design thinking approach to achieving it, the organization works to fight the incarceration of pregnant people in Colorado. Because of its work, the nonprofit received a $2,000 award from the Colorado Equity Compass (CEC) to share the real-world stories of pregnant people in incarceration through three storytelling avenues:
A video story videoed by the person themselves.
Art supplies so that they can tell their story through art that would then be photographed.
Written word products that could be distributed, like a letter to the editor (LTE).
“In acknowledgement that storytelling can be both healing and traumatic, each participant would be offered a free mental health session based in liberation psychology (through an ongoing collaboration between Elephant Circle and La Cocina),” say Elephant Circle representatives.
A large component of the storytelling work will center the social determinants of health (SDOH) that directly impact a person’s health, well-being and longevity and how they are vital elements of a healthy pregnancy.
These products can be found below:
About Elephant Circle Inspired by elephants who give birth within a circle of support, Elephant Circle is a birth justice organization that believes birth justice happens when everyone is equally capable of self-determination during the perinatal period and when their self-determination is supported and amplified. To achieve this, Elephant Circle employs strategies for tackling systems of power and oppression, strategies for change and resilience, and expertise in health systems, legal systems, and the perinatal period.
Elephant Circle is community-led and uses an intersectional, feminist, reproductive justice, midwifery model of care, design thinking approach to our work. This approach manifests solutions that do not re-inscribe status-quo power dynamics, are tailored to individual contexts, rooted in community, and are based on relationship and deep listening.
About the Colorado Equity Compass Across Colorado, communities are facing inequities that impact their health and wellbeing. Different factors, including systemic racism, a lack of affordable housing, and environmental concerns, contribute to these inequities.
As a project of The Colorado Trust, CEC helps communities — and the organizations that serve them — better understand these issues and advocate for change using data and stories. This work consolidates diverse resources, connects peers, and both aligns and empowers communities and institutions via an Equity Data Navigator. The model showcases inequities and the social determinants of health (SDOH) across communities. CEC also serves as a hub for community storytelling and information-sharing.
For more information and to view the Equity Data Navigator, visit coequitycompass.org. For media inquiries, contact CEC at hello@coequitycompass.org.