Using person-centered language
ARRWIP uses humanizing language when talking about people who experience incarceration. That means not using labels like “inmate,” “felon,” “offender,” and other fixed terms that define a person solely according to their confinement status. Instead, we use “person experiencing incarceration,” or “incarcerated individual.” For more information and guidance on language, see this resource from the Fortune Society and this article.
We prefer to use the term “criminal legal system” instead of “criminal justice system,” as there are many things that are not just about this system.
We acknowledge that people with the capacity to be pregnant do not all identify as women, and that people of all gender identities have reproductive health needs. We aim to use gender inclusive language, such as pregnant individual instead of pregnant woman, pregnant capable people, and also refer to “women” when appropriate for the situation.