Exploring the Intersections Between Mass Incarceration and Reproductive Injustice: Implications for Critical Feminist Social Work

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 oftenoverlooked

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.