I Was Sent to Prison — Then Found Out I Was Pregnant | Amanda Tarver

Locked In with Ian Bick

Ian Bick

Society & Culture

4.8 • 745 Ratings

🗓️ 11 February 2026

⏱️ 113 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Amanda Tarver opens up about one of the most shocking chapters of her life, discovering she was pregnant just weeks after self-surrendering to federal prison, navigating pregnancy and childbirth behind bars, and the emotional reality of giving birth while incarcerated. In this conversation with Ian Bick, Amanda breaks down how her decisions led to federal prison time, the trauma and resilience of motherhood inside the prison system, and how that experience inspired her and her husband to start 300 Letters, a nonprofit supporting families impacted by incarceration and helping break the cycle of trauma. _____________________________________________ #PregnantInPrison #GaveBirthInPrison #PrisonStory #TrueCrimePodcast #PrisonLife #InmateStories #LifeAfterPrison #lockedinwithianbick _____________________________________________ Connect with Amanda Tarver: Website: https://300letters.org/ Instagram & Tiktok: @IAMLEGENDFITNESS @300LETTERS @TRUTHBYAMANDA _____________________________________________ Hosted, Executive Produced & Edited By Ian Bick: https://www.instagram.com/ian_bick/?hl=en https://ianbick.com/ _____________________________________________ Shop Locked In Merch: http://www.ianbick.com/shop _____________________________________________ Timestamps: 00:00 Amanda’s Story: Pregnancy, Prison & Survival 00:54 Childhood, Family Instability & Constant Moving 02:58 Parents’ Relationship & Early Trauma 06:42 Strict vs. Lenient Parenting & Control 08:34 Money, Independence & Teen Responsibilities 09:25 School Behavior & Early Warning Signs 09:55 Never Imagining Prison as a Teen 10:34 Family History of Incarceration 11:02 Growing Up Cuban in Miami 11:58 Early Adulthood & First Pregnancy 13:32 Motherhood, Independence & College Life 14:04 Family Reaction to Becoming Pregnant 15:44 Navigating Complicated Family Dynamics 17:51 Meeting Legend Tarver & Falling in Love 20:54 Discovering the Drug Operation 22:59 Getting Involved & Sending Money 25:02 Normalizing Crime & Ignoring Red Flags 28:10 Consequences, Arrest & Federal Indictment 32:44 Detention Center, Court Dates & Legal Process 41:11 First Days in Prison & Culture Shock 47:46 Pregnant in Prison: Fear, Stress & Reality 52:26 Taking a Plea Deal & Self-Surrender 58:09 Adjusting to Prison & Finding Support 01:03:20 Pregnancy Programs & Giving Birth While Incarcerated 01:08:32 Motherhood in Prison: Nutrition & Daily Life 01:15:13 Family Impact & Reentry Challenges 01:19:08 Halfway House & Reuniting With My Kids 01:27:16 Talking to Children About Prison 01:34:32 Finding Purpose After Prison 01:38:28 Starting 300 Letters & Giving Back 01:44:22 Breaking the Cycle & Empowering Others 01:46:03 Final Advice to My Younger Self Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Olivia loves a challenge.
0:02.0	It's why she lifts heavy weights,
0:04.0	and likes complicated recipes.
0:07.0	But for booking her trip to Paris,
0:10.0	Olivia chose the easy way with Expedia.
0:12.0	She bundled her flight with a hotel to save more.
0:14.0	Of course, she still climbed all 674 steps to the top of the Eiffel Town.
0:19.0	You were made to take the easy route.
0:22.9	We were made to easily package your trip.
0:25.5	Expedia, made to travel.
0:27.8	Flight inclusive packages are at all protected.
0:30.1	I think that they were going to get to me and say, okay, this is how we'll approach this
0:34.1	situation with the girlfriend.
0:35.7	She's going to fall.
0:36.4	Like if we talk to her and we tell her she's going to get in trouble with everything that's going on, she'll snitch and this will be our way in and we can re-coact this whole thing. But that's exactly the opposite of what happened. I was like absolutely don't know what the fuck you're talking about. You guys are feds. You do your job. I don't know why you're coming to me. What was it like in that detention center? You've never been arrested before. You've never even
0:56.4	stepped foot in a jail. What's that like for you? That is wild. My guest today found out she was
1:02.9	pregnant just weeks after surrendering to federal prison and then gave birth while incarcerated.
1:08.4	In this episode, Amanda Tarver walks us through how she ended up behind bars.
1:12.8	What pregnancy and childbirth are really like in prison? The moment she held her baby and how
1:18.1	that experience changed her life forever. Where'd you grow up, Amanda? I grew up in Miami and LA back and forth, like my whole entire childhood.
1:31.3	My mom was born in Illinois.
1:33.3	My dad was born in New York.
	...

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