Background
The Prison Flow Project was started in July of 2021 as an extension of Dr. Vishniac’s doctoral dissertation on periods in women’s prisons in the U.S. It began as a basic compendium of the official rules around the provision of menstrual products in jurisdiction law, department of corrections regulations, and facility handbooks and a centralized, constantly maintained list and map of women’s prisons in the U.S. From the beginning, it was one of the only resources of its kind, providing key information for a number of other people working in policy, doing research, and advocating for menstrual equity. Prior to this, rules around menstrual product provision in prison were scattered among a large number of databases, complicating attempts at menstrual equity advocacy.
Future
The Prison Flow Project already serves as a vital source of information for people interested in the topic, looking for ways to make change, and doing long overdue research on the topic. In the years since it started, it has grown to include a basic summary of the overall picture and a document library, as there are multiple relevant documents not available anywhere else on the internet. In early 2026, we will begin publishing a monthly blog highlighting the voices of advocates and organizers, researchers, and particularly those who have been directly affected by menstrual discrimination in prison. This blog will provide a centralized place for a variety of people involved in this topic to discuss and raise awareness of periods in places of confinement.
Mission
Fighting for justice for vulnerable menstruators through advocacy, community-led research, and support for further research on periods in places of confinement.
Vision
A world free of menstrual discrimination and mass incarceration.
Values
- We believe that ending mass incarceration and confinement is a key part of achieving menstrual, gender, and sex-equity. We also believe in improving the conditions of confinement along the way – without justifying the carceral state.
- We believe that all menstruators have a right to body autonomy, menstrual literacy, and the ability to manage their own menstrual flow, free from interference or stigma.
- We believe that those who have experienced a period in confinement are the experts.
- We acknowledge the reality that not all women menstruate, and not all who menstruate are women.
- We recognize the work of our volunteer early-career researchers who are passionate about this issue, do what we can to support and uplift them instead of using them as free labor.
Page last updated Jan 14, 2026