Expecting Justice

Recognizing the urgent need to evaluate of the often overlooked conditions for those who are pregnant or postpartum, and others needing reproductive health care, in jails across the state, the ACLU of Illinois has collaborated with the Women’s Justice Institute to produce a report on the status of pregnancy and reproductive health care policies in Illinois county jails.

This report summarizes the responses received to requests made under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act to all 102 counties in the state seeking policies and other information about the provision of reproductive health care and treatment of pregnant and postpartum people in the custody of county jails.  It also includes the stories of a number of individuals who shared their experiences about being pregnant while detained in county jails in recent years.  The report documents that current policies and practices in many counties are inadequate to meet the reproductive health needs of individuals in their custody consistent with legal standards and best practices.