Monroe, Michigan – Monroe County Sheriff Troy Goodnough announced Wednesday that the county jail has launched a doula services program aimed at supporting incarcerated pregnant and postpartum women.
According to a Monroe County Sheriff’s Office press release dated Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026, the initiative is described as the first of its kind in a Michigan county sheriff’s office jail. The sheriff’s office said the program uses a community-based care model to provide social support, childbirth education and assistance during pregnancy, labor, delivery and the postpartum period.
Goodnough said the effort was championed after he learned about similar programs at a National Sheriffs’ Association conference. In the release, he said the goal is to ensure pregnant women have needed resources “for a healthy birth,” adding that providing a doula is intended to improve inmate mental health and lower suicide ideation during what the release described as a high-stress time. He also said the program is focused on providing essential social support and continuity of care as women navigate pregnancy and postpartum symptoms.
The sheriff’s office said it has partnered with Emily Richter of Parade Birth Services LLC to serve as the program’s doula. The doula services program will operate as a component of the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office Family Support Services Unit, the release said.
The initiative also includes collaboration with local organizations to connect inmates with community resources as they are released from custody. The release cited the Monroe County Health Department, which offers referrals for the Maternal Infant Health Program, Women, Infants and Children, breastfeeding support and the Helping Baby Grow program. It also cited Selah’s House, including its T.H.R.I.V.E. residential program for expecting mothers.
For students and young workers considering health care careers, the program highlights a growing local need for maternal support services.
