In NAPW's study, Arrests of and Forced Interventions on Pregnant Women in the United States, 1973-2005: Implications for Women's Legal Status and Public Health, Jeanne Flavin and Lynn M. Paltrow documented the fact that an overwhelming and disproportionate number of arrests and detentions were brought against women of color and especially low-income Black women.

Chelsea Becker Should Not Spend One More Day in Jail

On November 5, 2019, Chelsea Becker was arrested and charged with murder under California Penal Code §187. Ms. Becker had experienced a stillbirth that the prosecutor claims (without scientific basis) was caused by her methamphetamine use during pregnancy.

After learning that Oklahoma Carter County District Attorney Craig Ladd is continuing to misuse his office to prosecute women who are pregnant and alleged to have used controlled substances, NAPW engaged local and national experts to call on district attorney Ladd to drop the charges.

NAPW recently sent a thank you letter to New York State Attorney General Letitia James to thank her for her efforts to ensure women across New York and the nation are able to access safe, legal abortions during the coronavirus (COVID-19) public health crisis as part of the multistate coalition of 21 attorneys general.

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Dear Friends and Allies,

Even as we socially distance, and many of us are entering the third week of isolation, NAPW continues to make vital connections. For example, the coronavirus pandemic is revealing barriers to safe, effective, and respectful care for pregnant people, whether they are seeking to end a pregnancy or to continue a pregnancy and give birth.

A Statement From National Advocates for Pregnant Women

Recognizing that an outbreak of the coronavirus in jails and prisons will spread quickly and impact not only those behind bars, but entire communities, elected prosecutors from across the country, including from California, are calling on officials to reduce the incarcerated population.