Pregnancy Justice

Pregnancy Justice, formerly National Advocates for Pregnant Women, established in 2001 by Lynn M. Paltrow, is dedicated to defending pregnant people against criminalization and other rights violations because of pregnancy and all pregnancy outcomes. The organization and staff are guided by the principles of reproductive justice: a human rights framework created and led by Black women. We believe that the criminal legal system and family policing system, commonly known as the child welfare system, should never be involved in pregnancy and pregnancy-related outcomes; that all people are entitled to dignity, equality, and respect; and that the threat of pregnancy criminalization, like the criminal legal system itself, targets communities of color and is deeply rooted in racism. While Pregnancy Justice must operate within the criminal legal system and the family policing system, we also recognize that we must work to dismantle discriminatory systems of oppression. Since its founding, the organization has worked across disciplines including public health, drug policy, criminal justice reform, racial justice, and prosecutorial accountability, among others, to achieve its mission.

In 2022 alone, Pregnancy Justice trained over 7,000 frontline healthcare providers, criminal defense attorneys, prosecutors, social workers, policymakers, and child welfare workers through webinars, conferences, and lectures on their power to reject pregnancy criminalization. We represented or provided legal case support to 30 people facing pregnancy related criminalization; published 8 highly-cited reports; supported or opposed a dozen pieces of legislation; filed 4 amicus briefs on behalf of experts in medical and public health, drug policy, and reproductive justice in cases in Ohio, Arizona, New York and Alabama. When contacted by over 200 people needing help, Pregnancy Justice provided resources, referrals, know-your-rights information, and direct assistance.