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A young Black girl, wearing a yellow blouse, plays with seashells on a kitchen countertop. A Black woman, wearing a red blouse and red lipstick, stands with her hands on her hips in the background.
Feature July 26
How One Alabama County Declared War on Pregnant Women Who Use Drugs
Some women were prosecuted for smoking marijuana before they even knew they were expecting.
By Amy Yurkanin, AL.com
A White woman with light blonde hair looks at a photo she is holding in her hands of her daughter in a blue graduation gown.
Feature July 25
These States Are Using Fetal Personhood to Put Women Behind Bars
Hundreds of women who used drugs while pregnant have faced criminal charges — even when they deliver healthy babies.
By Cary Aspinwall
An illustration shows a portrait of an older Indigenous woman, wearing a red and white tribal headband, beaded necklaces and shirt. Clouds and a purple moon are in the background.
Life Inside July 14
While Doing Time in a California Prison, I Was Given a Hysterectomy Without My Consent
Moonlight Pulido believed she was having surgery to remove growths from her uterus. In a brutal bait-and-switch, she was sterilized.
By Moonlight Pulido as told to Carla Canning
An illustration in purple tones shows a portrait of a woman with blue eyes, with her hair down and wearing a tank top.
Life Inside July 7
A Texas Jail Delayed My Prenatal Care to Keep Costs Down. Then I Had a Miscarriage.
Collin County Jail failed to send a bleeding, cramping Lauren Kent to an outside OB-GYN. In a lawsuit, she blames their “cost-containment” strategy.
By Lauren Kent as told to Nicole Lewis
Silhouettes of staff members looking through window blinds to view a parking lot.
Life Inside June 30
Reproductive Healthcare Behind Bars Was Dismal Even Before Roe Ended
Abortion is just one part of a greater story about how indifferent — and even cruel — reproductive healthcare can be in prisons and jails.
By Nicole Lewis and Carla Canning
Life Inside June 30
I Survived Pregnancy and Postpartum Depression in Jail. Now I Guide Others Like Me.
As a doula in Georgia prisons and jails, Tabatha Trammell supports incarcerated clients through pregnancy, childbirth — and giving up their newborns.
By Tabatha Trammell, as told to Nicole Lewis
Left, a gravesite with a cross and decorated with flowers on a sunny day with blue skies; right: a White woman with medium-length brown hair wearing an orange shirt and leaning against a brown wall.
Inside Story March 2
Drug Addiction and the Paths to Prison
We learn how prosecutors can turn one of the darkest days in a mother’s life into a prison term, and hear Tarra Simmons’ journey from behind bars to writing laws.
By Lawrence Bartley and Donald Washington, Jr.
A light-skinned person, wearing a red hat and blue jacket, casts their ballot at a voting booth. An electronic voting machine can be seen on the left, in a different voting booth.
Closing Argument November 12, 2022
7 Key Criminal Justice Takeaways From the Midterms
Sheriffs. Prosecutors. Abortion and slavery amendments. Here’s what you should know about this week’s results.
error in byline
A woman with light-toned skin and reddish long hair sits on a sofa, with a toddler in front of her.
Feature September 13, 2022
Oklahoma Is Prosecuting Pregnant Women for Using Medical Marijuana
Two district attorneys have targeted mothers with child neglect felonies.
By Brianna Bailey
A woman with light-toned skin and a gray T-shirt is seated while hugging a young girl with a medium-toned skin as a young girl with light-toned skin plays on a patio.
Feature September 1, 2022
They Lost Their Pregnancies. Then Prosecutors Sent Them to Prison.
Dozens of women who used drugs while pregnant have faced criminal charges. Experts expect even more cases now that Roe has been overturned.
By Cary Aspinwall, Brianna Bailey, and Amy Yurkanin
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