From January 2006 to June 2022, Pregnancy Justice has documented nearly 1,400 instances in which people across the U.S. were arrested, prosecuted, convicted, or detained because of their pregnancy status or outcomes. The data reveals that South Carolina ranks second in the nation for criminalizing pregnancy outcomes and conduct during pregnancy, with over 1 in 10 (12.9%) of all pregnancy-based prosecutions originating in the state.
Pregnancy Justice’s fact sheet “South Carolina: The State of Pregnancy Criminalization” provides an overview of observed trends in pregnancy-related prosecutions in South Carolina during the studied time period.