National Prosecutors Association Launches Effort to Ensure Abortion is Safe and Legal

On January 6, 2022, the Association of Prosecuting Attorneys (APA) announced the launch of its new Reproductive Health Resource for Prosecutors, a platform to provide medically-based information and scientific research in reproductive health to guide law enforcement professionals.

The Addressing Disparities to Reproductive Health Project is designed to support prosecutors nationally to reduce reproductive health-related investigations and prosecutions including pregnancy loss and abortion. The project will develop and publish model policies and protocols focused on medical science and healthcare equity, design reproductive healthcare training and other resources that will assist prosecutors.

In launching this project, the APA stated: “Access to abortion care, a constitutionally protected method or procedure to end a pregnancy, is essential for the health and well-being of all individuals. While there is a substantial body of scientific research supporting both the importance and safety of abortion, many individuals face myriad obstacles to obtain abortion-related healthcare or are denied access to it. Restrictive abortion laws and policies laid down in the name of health and safety do not serve the stated purpose, but cause severe hardship and stress both to those seeking to end a pregnancy and to their families. As a result, black and other people of color, indigenous people, low socioeconomic and impoverished individuals, rural-based, teens, and LBGTQ+ individuals among others are disproportionately impacted to accessing abortion care.