Affilia, Ahead of Print.
The 2022 overturning of Roe v. Wade, rising threats to women’s reproductive rights, and increasing populations of incarcerated women inspired this secondary analysis of qualitative data exploring the intersections between reproductive justice and mass incarceration. The original phenomenological study focused on women’s perspectives on their interactions with law enforcement and the criminal legal system at the time of their arrests. Participants were recruited from a women’s drop-in center for a three-round interview process. This secondary study revisited 13 participants’ transcripts to explore how the legal system intersected with and contributed to reproductive injustice. De-identified transcripts were analyzed using open coding and focused coding to identify themes and sub-themes. Four primary themes emerged, revealing a range of systemic inadequacies and the need for systemic reforms in the legal system: parental rights, healthcare access, economic challenges and homelessness, and systemic bias and discrimination. These findings amplify the often-overlooked voices of those with direct lived experiences, with participants clearly emphasizing the urgent need for adequate and equitable support and treatment. From a critical feminist perspective, the analysis links mass incarceration with reproductive injustice, highlighting intersecting systems of oppression.