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Pink Crime: Fighting Against the Criminalization of Motherhood, Pregnancy, and Queer Identity
When your identity is the crime, innocence is no defense
“Beety . . . fills important gaps in our conversation around the criminal justice system and innocence.” —Jen Marlowe, author of I Am Troy Davis
A woman miscarries—and is charged with murder. A new mother tests positive for a drug her hospital administered—and loses custody of her newborn. Four women are convicted of horrific crimes against children they never touched, based on junk science and homophobia—and spend nearly twenty years in prison before being exonerated. A queer teenager takes a photo of a child’s diaper rash at work—and is sentenced to 126 years. These cases are not aberrations. They are symptoms of a system that punishes women and queer people not for what they have done, but for who they are.
In the United States, nearly three-quarters of all wrongly convicted women were convicted of crimes that never occurred at all. Valena Beety, co-founder of the Indiana Innocence Project and award-winning legal scholar cited by Justice Sonia Sotomayor, reveals how ordinary tragedies—a child’s sudden death, a husband who dies in his sleep—are transformed by prosecutors into murders that never happened. These “no crime” convictions disproportionately target women and queer people, whose identities are recast as evidence of guilt through bias, junk science, and entrenched stereotypes.
Drawing on devastating real-life cases, Beety exposes how prosecutorial overreach, flawed forensic science, and cultural panic converge—and how fetal personhood laws, the fall of Roe v. Wade, and anti-LGBTQ+ legislation have dramatically expanded the reach of criminal law. What emerges is a chilling portrait of a legal system that increasingly criminalizes pregnancy outcomes, motherhood, and queer identity itself.
“Beety . . . fills important gaps in our conversation around the criminal justice system and innocence.” —Jen Marlowe, author of I Am Troy Davis
A woman miscarries—and is charged with murder. A new mother tests positive for a drug her hospital administered—and loses custody of her newborn. Four women are convicted of horrific crimes against children they never touched, based on junk science and homophobia—and spend nearly twenty years in prison before being exonerated. A queer teenager takes a photo of a child’s diaper rash at work—and is sentenced to 126 years. These cases are not aberrations. They are symptoms of a system that punishes women and queer people not for what they have done, but for who they are.
In the United States, nearly three-quarters of all wrongly convicted women were convicted of crimes that never occurred at all. Valena Beety, co-founder of the Indiana Innocence Project and award-winning legal scholar cited by Justice Sonia Sotomayor, reveals how ordinary tragedies—a child’s sudden death, a husband who dies in his sleep—are transformed by prosecutors into murders that never happened. These “no crime” convictions disproportionately target women and queer people, whose identities are recast as evidence of guilt through bias, junk science, and entrenched stereotypes.
Drawing on devastating real-life cases, Beety exposes how prosecutorial overreach, flawed forensic science, and cultural panic converge—and how fetal personhood laws, the fall of Roe v. Wade, and anti-LGBTQ+ legislation have dramatically expanded the reach of criminal law. What emerges is a chilling portrait of a legal system that increasingly criminalizes pregnancy outcomes, motherhood, and queer identity itself.
- GenresNonfictionPoliticsQueer
272 pages, Hardcover
Published August 4, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
August 5, 2026
I'm only in the first chapter of Pink Crime by Valena Beaty, and I'm already shocked and outraged by the real-life examples of no crime cases that resulted in criminal convictions. The stories shared so early in the book are both heartbreaking and eye-opening, highlighting serious flaws within our justice system.
At the same time, I'm incredibly grateful that Valena Beaty is bringing these issues to the forefront through her writing. It's encouraging and hopeful to know there are people like her who use their voice, influence, and expertise to advocate for innocent individuals, stand up for marginalized communities, and fight for fairness and accountability within the justice system.
If the rest of the book is as powerful as the first chapter, I know it will leave a lasting impact. I already appreciate the important conversations this book inspires and look forward to continuing the journey.
At the same time, I'm incredibly grateful that Valena Beaty is bringing these issues to the forefront through her writing. It's encouraging and hopeful to know there are people like her who use their voice, influence, and expertise to advocate for innocent individuals, stand up for marginalized communities, and fight for fairness and accountability within the justice system.
If the rest of the book is as powerful as the first chapter, I know it will leave a lasting impact. I already appreciate the important conversations this book inspires and look forward to continuing the journey.
August 10, 2026
A terrifying read. Imagine that a horrible accident has happened to a family member and while you’re grieving, you’re accused of murdering them. In 75% of the cases where women’s wrongful convictions have been overturned, it was determined that no crime had been committed at all. But the convicted women have spent years or decades in prison nonetheless. Beety powerfully connects stereotypes about women and old fashioned ideas of “proper” gender roles to how these kind of prosecutions and convictions happen - and what this history tells us about how to fight recent cases of women and queer people being accused and convicted of behaviors that aren’t crimes at all. Emotionally hard to get through, but very important in this moment.
September 24, 2026
Timely & terrifying.
Valena Beety, former federal prosecutor and current professor of law, reveals some frightening reminders of the price women pay when their children fall victim to injury not through their own doing but due to the perception that something in their actions failed to align with expectations of womanhood. Her insightful observations and careful analysis of the facts expose horrific patterns of injustice and misogyny. Once again, Ms. Beety unmasks the problems of bias, identity, and chance in a justice system that is mean to protect all and too often only benefits a limited segment of the population.
Valena Beety, former federal prosecutor and current professor of law, reveals some frightening reminders of the price women pay when their children fall victim to injury not through their own doing but due to the perception that something in their actions failed to align with expectations of womanhood. Her insightful observations and careful analysis of the facts expose horrific patterns of injustice and misogyny. Once again, Ms. Beety unmasks the problems of bias, identity, and chance in a justice system that is mean to protect all and too often only benefits a limited segment of the population.
August 19, 2026
Pink Crime is a book that should be assigned to anyone working in law, law enforcement, or social work. Beety writes with such radiant transparency, allowing the reader to experience the harrowing criminalization women can face during a time when they themselves should be grieving and healing. Throughout the book, Beety writes not as an uninvolved reporter, but as a deeply compassionate author connected to a flawed system, where she herself could be seen as a criminal simply for loving whom she loves and being who she is. This book is definitely worth the read!
Review of advance copy
Compelling, interesting and timely! This well researched and exquisitely written work frames the current trend chipping away at human rights into a much larger and more complete picture than I had considered. Centering the lens on often overlooked LGBTQ and mothering people gave me a deeper understanding.
Disclosure: I was interviewed for this book and paid for an advance copy.
Disclosure: I was interviewed for this book and paid for an advance copy.
September 20, 2026
A passionate, informative and alarming exploration of discriminatory treatment of women for simply being women. While the cases Beety explores in this book are maddening, the information she shares also has the ability to empower readers with agency and a sense of hope for those who have been wrongly accused.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
A tough but powerful read on how the legal system is used to control and punish women and queer people. Some of the wrongly convicted people whose cases were described in this book will stay with me forever.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Such an important and compelling book about how legal methods are used to bully, incriminate, and incarcerate women! I was shocked to learn about many of the so called “crimes” in this book; well written and well supported.
September 15, 2026
This will not be a feel good book it's written to bring attention to the plight of those that are being found guilty where as they are innocent or not culpable for crimes that they are accused of. I thought it well written, it deserves a read and hopefully will end in a conversation.
October 6, 2026
Absolutely fascinating dive into how women and queer people are being criminalized for nothing more than being women and queer people. Solid prose, fascinating and horrifying details, I'm burning through reading this very quickly. I can't recommend it highly enough.
Review of advance copy received from Author
This is a timely, important, and fascinating book. Highly recommend!
August 4, 2026
An excellently well-researched and written book that captures your attention from the first page. Beety shines a light on major injustices in our criminal system while simultaneously providing hope for change. Don’t miss out!
August 5, 2026
Such an amazing and relevant book! Also the author is such an AMAZING person!
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews