Reproductive Injustice across the Carceral Continuum

Background and Purpose: Reproductive oppression is embedded within the carceral system, extending beyond incarceration to shape long-term health, autonomy, and systemic inequalities. Grounded in abolitionist, critical feminist, and reproductive justice frameworks, this study examines how reproductive control is exercised structurally and systemically before, during, and after incarceration. While much of the existing literature focuses on reproductive harm within prison settings, this research broadens the analysis to capture the full scope of state control over reproductive autonomy. By tracing patterns of coercion, neglect, and punitive intervention across different stages of system involvement, this study highlights the urgent need for structural change both within and beyond carceral institutions.

Methods: This IRB-approved qualitative phenomenological study engaged formerly incarcerated, system-impacted women and assigned female at birth (AFAB) individuals. Data were collected through in-depth, semi-structured interviews conducted at community-based emergency shelters. Interviews were audio-recorded and explored participants' lived experiences of reproductive injustice throughout incarceration phases. The recordings were transcribed, de-identified, and analyzed thematically using phenomenological methods to identify patterns of reproductive injustice at different carceral stages.

Results: Participants' narratives revealed seven interconnected themes reflecting reproductive injustice at different stages of interaction with the legal system: (1) Systemic Barriers Before Incarceration, (2) Impact of Incarceration Contexts, (3) Institutional Reproductive Control, (4) Healthcare and Insurance Inequities, (5) Navigating Post-Release Healthcare, (6) Socioeconomic Vulnerabilities, and (7) Persistent Post-Incarceration Barriers.

These themes illustrate how reproductive injustice is embedded within broader structural and systemic barriers. Participants highlighted multiple layers of reproductive control, emphasizing that reproductive injustice begins prior to incarceration through restricted access to healthcare and systemic criminalization. Experiences varied depending on incarceration contexts, influencing access to reproductive care and health services. Institutional practices during incarceration further restricted reproductive autonomy through systemic neglect and coercive control. Post-release, participants described significant ongoing barriers, including disrupted healthcare access, insurance coverage gaps, financial instability, employment challenges, and unstable housing. These intersecting vulnerabilities perpetuated disparities and limited reproductive autonomy, underscoring reproductive injustice as a persistent, structural issue extending beyond incarceration itself.

Conclusions and Implications: Findings demonstrate that incarceration amplifies existing reproductive injustices, imposing lasting consequences on reproductive autonomy. Structural factors, including economic precarity, systemic neglect, and punitive policies, perpetuate reproductive oppression throughout the carceral continuum. This study highlights social work's ethical obligation to advocate for abolitionist and critical feminist approaches to reproductive justice, including robust investment in community-based reproductive healthcare independent of carceral oversight. Aligning social work values of social justice and human dignity, these findings call for proactive engagement in policy development and advocacy to dismantle systemic reproductive injustice.