Reproductive rights and justice leaders had warned that after Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the Supreme Court decision that demolished Roe, anti-abortion activists would be emboldened to demand such prosecutions. These warnings were well founded. As new research released Tuesday by the advocacy organization Pregnancy Justice reveals, over the two years following the decision, hundreds of people were prosecuted for their pregnancy outcomes. The group identified more than 400 cases in which prosecutors charged a person for crimes related to their pregnancy, pregnancy loss, or birth. Using media reports, public records, and direct information provided to the group, the report offers a snapshot of who has been charged in this new legal environment. The most common charges, by far, were related to child abuse, neglect, and endangerment. In all, among 412 defendants (some of whom faced multiple charges), 399 charges alleged substance use during pregnancy; 29 alleged lack of prenatal care; and nine allegations involved obtaining, attempting, or researching an abortion. More than half of those charged were white. The vast majority of all charged were low-income.

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