In the aftermath of the Supreme Court's reversal of Roe v. Wade, we are all grappling with the devastating impact of this decision on people's ability to access reproductive care. But as battles for abortion access are being waged in upcoming legislative sessions and in courtrooms across the country, opponents of reproductive health care will not be satisfied by further restrictions to abortion care. Many lawmakers, prosecutors, and politicians have promised to expand criminal penalties for those who access abortion care and those who help provide it.
Facing criminal penalties for accessing or for providing essential health care seems distinctly inhumane and illogical. But the unfortunate reality is that this criminalization is one alarming cog in a carceral machine that has been inhumane and illogical since its conception. The advent of mass abortion criminalization invites a broader critique of the carceral system as a whole, and pushes us toward a deeper understanding of these intersecting systems of oppression. As we engage in the work of defending recipients, providers, and supporters of abortion care who face criminal charges, we need to take a look at how we got here.
