Prison Flow Project

February 2026 My name is Miriam Vishniac, and I am a passionate advocate of menstrual equity and freedom in places of confinement. Why Periods in Prisons? In 2015, I was a Master’s student at the Universit…

The Prison Flow Project blog is now LIVE! Read more about why founder Miriam Vishniac went into this work and what she found in her doctoral research: theprisonflowproject.com/2026/02/15/w...

The US GAO has quietly released its report on incarcerated menstruation. This report shows that the BOP is failing to adhere to its own guidelines. When they recommended ICE clarify requirements for providing these items, they refused. www.gao.gov/products/gao...

So excited to see that my interview with M Talk by the M Scale is up! Check out S01 E05 to learn more about the struggle to menstruate while confined.
themscale.com/period-podca...

More coverage discussing how common disciplinary policies and a lack of enforcement harms incarcerated menstruators!

Blog Submission Guidelines We look forward to receiving submissions from researchers, advocates, and those who have experienced a period in confinement! Possible topics for blog posts are listed below. If you have an idea fo…

Submission for our blog are now OPEN! Have you experienced menstruation or menopause in detention? Have you led a campaign to change laws? Have you done research, or want to summarize research? WE WANT TO KNOW! theprisonflowproject.com/blog-submiss...

Punished for bleeding: How periods in prison become a trap Many incarcerated women and trans people are forced to choose between maintaining their dignity and health — or facing penalties.

Incarcerated women and trans people in the U.S. are punished for their periods. They describe:

🟣 making their own tampons out of unsanitary items

🟣 facing penalties for having more tampons or pads than allowed

🟣 being humiliated by prison staff — yes, even women

My latest for @19thnews.org:

Disability Research about Disability and the criminal justice system

On this International People with Disabilities Day, we think of the many disabled menstruators in prison. Disability rights in prison are known to be a huge issue, making their access to menstrual products questionable. www.prisonpolicy.org/research/dis...

Support this necessary work!! We cannot have conversations around prisons without the people directly impacted whose voices too often get overlooked.

New brief in collaboration with the Cross-Center Collaboration on the Health of Justice-Involved Women and Children (JIWC) at @umn-mch.bsky.social! State Laws on Access to Menstrual Products for People who are Pregnant while Incarcerated - mch.umn.edu/wp-content/u...

A puppy and unlimited toilet paper? Legal experts say Ghislaine Maxwell’s alleged prison life is uncommon Maxwell is serving a 20-year sentence for her role in Jeffrey Epstein’s sex-trafficking of teen girls – and her treatment is prompting speculation

A lack of toilet paper was a consistent issue for the people I talked with in my research, almost as much of an issue as lack of access to menstrual products. Women generally only get as much as men. This preferential treatment makes it clear that is a CHOICE. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

Punishing Menstruation: Human Rights Failure in US Prisons, Report Says - Davis Vanguard Incarcerated women in the U.S. are routinely punished for menstruating due to prison rules that fail to account for basic biological needs, resulting in a punitive environment where menstruation can r...

It is so exciting to see news media discussing the injustices faced by incarcerated menstruators! davisvanguard.org/2025/11/pris...

Menstruation as misconduct: How prisons punish people for having their periods Our analysis of prison rules and sanctions across all fifty states and the federal system — as well as accounts of incarcerated people — reveal ...

Prison disciplinary policies often target menstruators and make it even harder for them to access menstrual products. My analysis with @prisonpolicy.org dug into this widespread issue.

In DC for the American Society of Criminology annual meeting! Look for me around or come find me at poster session II, Thursday evening, 7:30-8:30!

On my way to the annual @amersoccriminology.bsky.social meeting in DC! Looking forward to seeing old friends and presenting important research! Find me at poster session II!

The dehumanization of incarcerated people is what makes menstrual discrimination in prison possible. Menstrual equity requires human compassion.

The people in prison and who have experienced prison are the Experts. You do not get to claim to know anything if you ignore their voices.

Imprisoning people far from their families and then charging those people an insane amount to stay in contact when we know it leads to better outcomes post-release is cruel and ensures people keep getting imprisoned.

2025 U.S. Conference on Poverty and Basic Needs Non-Menstruator Bias in Prison Resources Doctoral Dissertation: The New Correctional Afterthought: Menstruation and Incarceration in the U.S.A. – Edinburgh Research Archive, Why people are ma…

I was supposed to present at the Conference on Poverty and Basic Needs hosted by the @diapernetwork.bsky.social and @periodsupplies.bsky.social last week, but had an unfortunately-times family emergency. So instead, I have posted my materials online! theprisonflowproject.com/2025-u-s-con...

A reminder that people in prison are still deserving of human compassion, as all humans are.

Period Action Day 2025 Menstruation and Incarceration Saturday, October 11th 10:30 AM CT/11:30 AM ET By Jamin Mahmood of Vulvani – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, Incarcerated menstruators are some of the most vulnerable p…

Thank you to everyone who made our inaugural #PeriodActionDay webinar a success! We posted the recording on the event page for anyone who couldn’t make it. #periodequity #prison #periodpoverty #criminology #womensrights #genderequity

HAVE YOU MADE #PeriodActionDay PLANS YET?! We’ve got you covered! #PAD25 #menstrualequity #menstrualjustice #prisons #womensrights #periodpoverty #massincarceration #criminaljustice #criminology #feminism #sociology #genderequity #socialpolicy #socialpolicy #publichealth

Advocates, lawmakers urge Gov. Maura Healey to halt $360 million rebuild of women’s prison in Framingham - The Boston Globe The project is an expensive misstep that ignores what inmates inside the state’s only women’s prison actually say they need, it said.

Over 80 advocacy orgs have voiced their opposition to the $360 million proposal to build a new women's prison in MA. Instead of new construction, we need investment in community-based alternatives that have proven track records of improving public safety. www.bostonglobe.com/2025/09/12/m...

Blog Submission Guidelines We look forward to receiving submissions from researchers, advocates, and those who have experienced a period in confinement! Possible topics for blog posts are listed below. If you have an idea fo…

We’re starting a monthly blog in early 2026 focusing on periods in places of confinement! If you have experienced that or are an advocate or researcher, we want to hear from you! Check out our submission guidelines below. #socialscience #menstruation #menstrualequity #periodpoverty #menstrualrights

PERIOD ACTION DAY 2025 Menstruation and Incarceration The menstrual equity movement must recognize the menstrual health rights and needs of people who are incarcerated. Learn about the experiences of menstrual discrimination and injustice in prison and the roles you can play to address this crisis. LIVE WEBINAR Saturday, October 11th, 2025 Start at 10:30 AM CT/11:30 AM ET For more info https://bit.ly/4pzXKj5 Co-hosted by Miriam Vishniac, PhD (Prison Flow Project) and Regan Moss, MPH (Menstruation & Incarceration Study) EXPERT PANELISTS Veronica Carrier - New Hour for Women and Children - LI, Reentry Recovery Advocate Jennifer Toon - Executive Director of Lioness Justice Impacted Women's Alliance Stacy Burnett - Senior Product Manager at ITHAKA

Looking for something to do this #PeriodActionDay? The Prison Flow Project is hosting a webinar panel on periods in prison: how periods impact the experience of prison, how current policies hurt menstruators, and what we can do to make change. 10:30 am CT, October 11th! Sign up at bit.ly/4pzXKj5

A flyer for the 14th Annual U.S. Conference on Poverty & Basic Needs highlighting Miriam Vishniac, founder of the Prison Flow Project, who is presenting on Menstrual Equity Research. The conference runs from October 21-23, 2025, in-person in Las Vegas and virtually, and is hosted by the National Diaper Bank Network (nationaldiaperbanknetwork.org) and the Alliance for Period Supplies (allianceforperiodsupplies.org). Learn more at BIT.LY/CPBN25

A flyer for the 14th Annual U.S. Conference on Poverty & Basic Needs highlighting Regan Moss, MPH, board member of the Prison Flow Project and researcher with the Caregiver Initiative at Auburn University, who is presenting on Increasing Access to Material Basic Needs. The conference runs from October 21-23, 2025, in-person in Las Vegas and virtually, and is hosted by the National Diaper Bank Network (nationaldiaperbanknetwork.org) and the Alliance for Period Supplies (allianceforperiodsupplies.org). Learn more at BIT.LY/CPBN25

Are YOU planning on going to the 14th Annual U.S. Conference on Poverty & Basic Needs? Both Prison Flow Project founder, @miriamvishniac.bsky.social and board member Regan Moss, MPH will be presenting! Hosted by @diapernetwork.bsky.social and @periodsupplies.bsky.social, learn more at BIT.LY/CPBN25

The Prison Flow Project | LinkedIn The Prison Flow Project | 2 followers on LinkedIn. Providing information, period. | The Prison Flow Project is dedicated to fighting for justice for menstruators in places of confinement. It is one of...

Now with our own LinkedIn page! Connect with us!

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Periods in prison are not niche, they fundamentally impact the experience of prison for menstruators and show how dehumanizing people in the name of ‘justice’ has serious consequences.

Why Solitary Confinement Is a Safe Haven for Sexually Abusive Guards After eight years in “the hole” at Texas’ Lane Murray Unit, Kwaneta Harris documents the “daily reality” of staff sexual exploitation and violence.

Prison guards routinely use their power over menstrual products to sexually abuse women in their power. Yet attorneys routinely fail to call these items out by name in legal documents, essentially covering up sex-linked abuse. www.themarshallproject.org/2025/03/10/s...

Introduction The Prison Flow Project BLOG will soon provide a platform for advocates, academics, and those with prison experience to share insights about periods in confinement. Highlighting the impact on healt…

Are you someone who is interested in #confinedperiods, studies the topic, has experienced one, or wants to summarize academic manuscripts for a lay audience? Coming soon, the Prison Flow Project monthly blog: a unique place for sharing narratives, period.
theprisonflowproject.com/2025/08/15/i...