Our Mission: PFP Flow Lab advances menstrual equity in carceral settings by conducting innovative research, evaluating programs and policies, amplifying the voices of directly impacted individuals, and producing actionable evidence that drives systemic change.

Our Vision: To create a future where all people impacted by incarceration have equitable access to menstrual health, dignity, and evidence-based policies informed by rigorous research and lived experience.

Problem Statement:

There remains a significant lack of coordinated research, standardized data collection, and program evaluation mechanisms to inform policy and practice around menstrual equity in carceral settings. Organizations, policymakers, and correctional systems often operate without sufficient evidence regarding menstrual product access, implementation outcomes, health impacts, and cost-effectiveness. This limits the ability to scale effective interventions and achieve sustainable systems change.

Background

Despite growing awareness of period poverty and menstrual inequities, significant gaps remain in our understanding of menstrual health experiences within correctional facilities. Historically, research on incarcerated populations has focused on security, recidivism, and general healthcare outcomes, while menstrual health specifically has remained largely overlooked.

Recent policy victories, including state-level menstrual equity legislation, have created opportunities to evaluate implementation, measure impact, and identify best practices. However, there remains limited data on the effects of the carceral space on the menstrual cycle, menstrual product access, menstrual deprivation, health outcomes, policy compliance, economic impacts, and the tailored experiences of incarcerated individuals.

The Prison Flow Project is uniquely positioned to address these gaps through a dedicated research and evaluation department that combines academic rigor, community-based participatory research, and advocacy-driven inquiry. The Flow Lab will serve as a bridge between research, practice, and policy to ensure that menstrual equity efforts are informed by evidence and guided by those most affected.

Purpose

The Research and Evaluation Department exists to:

Generate credible, data-driven evidence on menstrual health and equity within carceral systems.
Evaluate the effectiveness of policies, programs, and interventions aimed at improving menstrual health outcomes.
Center the expertise and lived experiences of incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals in the research process
Inform local, state, and federal policy reforms through evidence-based recommendations.
Establish the Prison Flow Project and the Flow Lab as a national leader in menstrual equity research and evaluation

Proposed Research Initiative Areas

Menstrual Health and Well-Being in Carceral Settings
Policy Research and Evaluation
Period Poverty and Economic Justice
Reproductive Justice and Human Rights
Product Access, Quality, and Safety
Health Outcomes Research
Community Based Participatory Research
Program Evaluation
Military, Detention, and Other Institutional Settings
Reentry and Continuity of Care
Public Perception and Narrative Change

Your support allows us to collect data, compensate research participants, conduct our analysis, and more!

Support the Flow Lab

The first U.S. center dedicated to research, evaluation, and policy innovation on menstrual equity in carceral and institutional settings.