Of those 12 states with abortion bans, 11 impose criminal penalties that range from a few months in prison to life sentences. Clinicians can also face fines and have their medical licenses revoked, as most ban violations are classified as felonies. Losing their medical license could prevent many physicians from practicing in other states, though some states that support abortion allow physicians who had their license revoked due to a ban violation conviction to still practice in their state.
So far, no clinician has yet been convicted or imprisoned for performing an abortion since Dobbs.
Here are the states that impose criminal penalties for physicians who perform abortions and the prison sentences allowed.
Alabama: 10 years
Arkansas: 10 years
Idaho: two to five years
Indiana: one to six years
Kentucky: one to five years
Louisiana: one to 10 years
Mississippi: one to 10 years
Oklahoma: two to five years
Tennessee: three to 15 years
Texas: five to 99 years or life
South Dakota: two years
West Virginia: No criminal penalty for physicians but non-physicians could face three to 10 years
Read the full report here.
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