Mission

Our Mission: Pregnancy Justice protects and advances pregnant people’s bodily autonomy and rights by defending those who have been criminalized, advocating for proactive policy and legal change, and shifting the public narrative. We focus on those most vulnerable to investigation, arrest, detention, or family separation related to pregnancy. This includes women and people who are poor, of color, with disabilities, do not conform to gender binary stereotypes, and/or use drugs. The criminalization of pregnancy is rooted in sexism, as it seeks to impose traditional gender norms through its attempt to undermine pregnant people’s rights and personhood. Our efforts to defend against pregnancy criminalization and punitive treatment are guided by the principles of reproductive justice, which is defined by SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective as the human right to maintain personal bodily autonomy, have children, not have children, and parent the children we have in safe and sustainable communities. We Believe: ● That the criminal legal system and family policing system, commonly known as the “child welfare system,” should never be involved in pregnancy and pregnancy-related outcomes; ● that all people are entitled to dignity, equality, and respect; ● and that the threat of pregnancy criminalization, like the criminal legal system itself, is deeply rooted in patriarchy, racism, classism, and ableism and targets the people most marginalized by these systems. While Pregnancy Justice must operate within the criminal legal system and the family policing system, we also recognize that we must work to dismantlediscriminatory systems of oppression that impact pregnant people in the U.S. Since its founding over 20 years ago (as National Advocates for Pregnant Women), Pregnancy Justice has worked across disciplines, including reproductive rights and justice, public health, drug policy, criminal justice reform, racial justice, and prosecutorial accountability, among others, to achieve its mission.