Access to Adequate Reproductive Care in Florida’s Women’s Prisons and Jails

Abstract

Mass incarceration is a pervasive issue in the United States, with women, particularly women of color, becoming the fastest growing population in prisons. Despite this, many carceral institutions lack the infrastructure to provide incarcerated women with adequate reproductive healthcare, and states often lack policy providing for adequate reproductive care. This paper examines the women’s prisons and jails of Florida, serving as both an analysis of the care offered to prisoners and the policies that have been passed in the state legislature. Additionally, it examines the potential impacts of the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, and Florida’s subsequent legislation restricting abortion access. Through this analysis, this paper finds that more protections are needed at both the state and the institutional level for reproductive healthcare in Florida’s women’s prisons and jails, particularly after the overturning of Roe v. Wade.