ABSTRACT
As the rate of incarceration for women continues to outpace that of men, issues related to pregnancy and childbirth arise more frequently. This chapter utilizes reproductive justice as a theoretical framework to analyze the impact of intersecting systems of oppression that strip women of their reproductive autonomy. Using this framework, the authors discuss contemporary examples of reproductive injustice along with recent reforms in correctional policy and practices. Despite reform efforts, they argue that reproductive justice cannot exist within carceral spaces designed to oppress. Abolitionist alternatives to imprisonment can address circumstances that contribute to offending behavior while supporting system-involved women and their reproductive autonomy.
