Incarcerated Women: Pregnancy, Childbirth & Shackling highlights the dehumanizing and deeply harmful practices endured by pregnant and birthing people in our prisons and jails. These practices are part of the continuum of reproductive injustices inflicted on the women and gender expansive people most targeted for criminalization and incarceration: Black, Indigenous, and people of color, and people from economically marginalized communities. They reflect the continuum of violence, racism, and gender oppression that Black, Indigenous, and people of color experience every day – experiences that led Black women to develop the powerful concept of Reproductive Justice. Visit SisterSong: Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective to learn more about their critical work and the concept and origin of Reproductive Justice.

We hope this piece contributes to critical organizing led by women and gender expansive people directly impacted by incarceration to end shackling, advance reproductive justice, and transform our criminal legal system.