Defending Reproductive Rights in New Jersey by Improving Access to Health Care for All

Colleagues and friends of Kathleen Crotty gathered today to honor the legacy of the former Senate Majority Office Executive Director and Board Chair of New Jersey Policy Perspective (NJPP). The reception, hosted by NJPP at the New Jersey Restaurant & Hospitality Association headquarters, coincided with the release of a new report on reproductive health by NJPP 2018 Kathleen Crotty Fellow Jazmyne McNeese.

The report, Defending Reproductive Rights in New Jersey by Improving Access to Health Care for All, highlights disparities in New Jersey’s reproductive health care landscape and offers a policy roadmap that works to eliminate unnecessary barriers to care and focuses resources on communities that historically have been the most disadvantaged.

“New Jersey’s record of advancing reproductive health policy—while better than most states—has yet to fully address barriers faced by those who need these services the most,” said Jazmyne McNeese, NJPP 2018 Crotty Fellow and author of the report. “This report gives a voice to those left out of public policy decisions and amplifies the work of advocates across the country who have committed themselves to protecting access to reproductive health care. Now is the time to protect and expand reproductive freedoms here in New Jersey.”

The Kathleen Crotty Fellowship was launched by NJPP in 2016 to continue Kathy’s commitment to public policy and her legacy of mentorship. Jazmyne McNeese is the third NJPP Crotty Fellow and is pursuing her Ph.D. in Public Affairs and Community Development at Rutgers-Camden. She is a graduate of the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy with a Masters in Public Policy.

“Given the intensified political climate at the national level, New Jersey is uniquely positioned to be an incubator of progressive, forward-thinking policy by expanding access to reproductive health care,” said Sheila Reynertson, Senior Policy Analyst at NJPP. “NJPP was proud to partner with Cherry Hill Women’s Center to start a conversation on the gaps in New Jersey’s reproductive health care landscape and potential ways to fill them.”

The report outlines a reproductive health care agenda that promotes: expanding access to contraception and abortion; addressing maternal and infant mortality disparities; providing dignity for incarcerated people, and; expanding health care for undocumented immigrants.

“Jazmyne, through her diligence and vision during her Kathy Crotty Fellowship, created a reproductive health policy report that is engaging, informative and inclusive,” said Roxanne Sutocky, Director of Community Engagement at the Cherry Hill Women’s Center. “By bringing the voices of New Jersey’s most marginalized community members to the forefront, this report allows for a fresh take on important issues impacting New Jersey resident including abortion and contraception, maternal mortality, immigration, and incarceration. This type of original, fact-driven report will undoubtedly inspire meaningful social change in our state.”

Read the full report here.