SisterSong Offers Info Session: Stop The Use Of Shackles On Pregnant Incarcerated Women In NC

It is estimated that of the women who are incarcerated throughout the nation, 25% of them are either pregnant when they entered prison or are mothers to babies who are one year old or younger.  The treatment of these women is a huge concern with one of the top concerns being the shackling of the women who are pregnant.  

Shackling is defined as “using any physical restraint of mechanical device to control the movement of a prisoner’s body or limbs, including handcuffs, leg shackles, and belly chains.” It is cruel, inhumane and dangerous.

There are 30 states across the country that have policies or laws that allow the shackling of pregnant people incarcerated in municipal and state facilities throughout their pregnancies, during labor and delivery and postpartum. North Carolina is one of those states.

Many women who are incarcerated in these states are being subjected to shackling during labor and the delivery of their babies along with the time they are recovering from the birth. The reason for the shackling of these women is to prohibit fleeing or bringing harm to others. 

However many of these women are incarcerated for non-violent offences and exhibit no signs of being a danger or fleeing.  Among the states that have restricted shackling of pregnant prisoners none have documented instances of women in labor escaping or causing harm to themselves, the public, security guards, or medical staff.

That is why SisterSong has launched a campaign to end the practice of shackling pregnant and/or laboring women who are incarcerated or justice involved.

With SisterSong’s coalition partners, they have contacted the Department of Safety to demand that they revise their policy. They have been told revisions are “forthcoming”, but the Department of Safety has refused to include advocates and health experts.

There are currently 50 people pregnant at the NC Correctional Institute for Women. This policy must be change now! Together, we will put an end to this awful practice and work to ensure the health and dignity of people who are incarcerated.

SisterSong is hosting community information sessions to help:

(1) Increase public aware around the policy and practice of shackling

(2) Provide an overview of why this is a Reproductive Justice issue

(3) Identify formerly incarcerated or justice involve individuals who might be interested in participating in our #endshacklingnc photo doc/story collection project

(4) Ask community members to take action with SisterSong NOW to end this barbaric practice.

SisterSong #endshacklingnc Coalition Partners Include:

ACLU NC

NARAL Pro-Choice NC

NC Black Women’s Roundtable

El Pueblo

All of Us None NC

SpiritHouse

YWCA Greensboro

Ignite NC

Carolina Abortion Fund

MomsRising

Forward Justice

Be Connected Durham

Action NC

Jasmine Getrow-Moore

Southern Documentary Fund

Join SisterSong and coalition partners at an upcoming information session to learn more and help to #endshacklingNC! For more information or to RSVP for an upcoming session, contact them at omisade@sistersong.net or ash@sistersong.net.