SETU Vice-President co-authors global prison health reform article
Women and children’s shoes left outside a prison cell in Malawi. Photo courtesy of Prof Marie Claire Van Hout.
South East Technological University (SETU) Vice President for Research, Innovation and Impact, Prof Marie Claire Van Hout, has co-authored a research paper highlighting the urgent need for global reform in the care of pregnant and breastfeeding women in contact with the criminal legal system.
The paper, 'Care of pregnant and breastfeeding women in contact with the criminal legal system: the need for global reform', was published in the latest edition of ‘The Lancet Obstetrics, Gynaecology, & Women’s Health’ . It will also highlighted in The Lancet’s exclusive weekly editorial briefing, sent to priority journalists worldwide.
Co-authored by Barbara Frey, Julie Matonich, Professor Nancy Loucks, Professor Des Crowley, Professor Ivan Calder, Stuti Shah, Hamed Farmand, Dr Smita Dharmamer, and Alexa Johnson-Gomez, the research advocates for sweeping reform in how pregnant and breastfeeding women are treated within criminal legal systems globally.
“This publication represents a critical call to action,” said Professor Van Hout.
“Across the world, women in contact with the criminal legal system face systemic neglect, poor maternal healthcare, and violations of basic human rights," she added.
"This article brings together global voices and expertise to propose an urgent, evidence-informed framework for reform.”
Drawing from international research, legal analysis and on-the-ground experience, the authors emphasised the need for rights-based, gender-responsive approaches in prisons and detention facilities including alternatives to incarceration, access to reproductive and maternal healthcare, and child-centred sentencing practices.
This achievement reflects SETU’s mission to deliver research with real-world impact.
The university is committed to advancing equality, improving health and wellbeing, and shaping policy both regionally and globally.
Prof Van Hout’s work exemplifies SETU’s vision of research that connects knowledge to impact, addressing societal challenges and contributing to a more just and inclusive world.
