Did you know that it is legal in most states of the union to shackle incarcerated women during childbirth? The American Academy of Obstetrics and Gynecology condemns this practice because they say it unnecessarily risks a woman’s health. Soon, New York will become the sixth state to ban this practice, along with California, Illinois, New Mexico, Texas and Vermont. It’s unclear how many inmates are affected by the practice. The federal Bureau of Justice Statistics said 4% of state inmates and 3% of federal inmates were pregnant in 2008 when they were first incarcerated. There is no data available to indicate how many women delivered babies in prison, or were restrained while doing so. [via The Boston Globe]
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Tags: Bureau of Justice Statistics, childbirth, New York, Pregnancy, prison
Dr. Steven Chang, the author of DailyDose, is a staff physician with Kosmix RightHealth. Dr. Chang practices Family Medicine at the University of California Davis Medical Center, where his medical interests include both pediatric and geriatric care, public health, gay and lesbian health, and sleep medicine. Dr. Chang trained at the Stanford University affiliated O'Connor Hospital, and was a research fellow at the National Institute of Health. He holds an M.D. from McGill University and a BA in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University.
August 28th, 2009 at 5:11 am
as long as the shackles are not tight so it harms the unborn,they should not be treated any different than any other inmate. i’ve seen some of them on shows,they can run and beat up as much or more than some men. put padding on the chains that goes around the belly.
i have never seen any tight shackles on any one and have been in court many times with my boys and grandsons.
next would be to do away with them for stomach troubles etc.
August 28th, 2009 at 5:26 am
Are we civilized or not? Trudi seems to think we’re not. Having been a delivery room nurse for years I know what a struggle and a joy it is to be a mother going through labor and delivery. If we do this in an inhumane manner – shackling a woman in labor – we lose an opportunity to treat her with human kindness – even for a few hours. It is only through such contacts that we can hope to reach that portion of the inmate that might respond to efforts to rehabilitate her.
It’s unfortunate that our prison system focus more on punishment than on rehabilitation. That’s why our prisons overflow with wasted lives in the first place and our society suffers the results of the revolving doors.
Take off the shackles!
August 28th, 2009 at 6:26 am
TAKE OFF THE SHACKLES, AFTER ALL WHERE ARE THEY GOING DURING THE BIRTHING PROCESS.
August 28th, 2009 at 7:10 am
I SAY THE SAME AS ABOVE. WHERE ARE THEY GOING DURING THE BIRTH PROCESS.
August 28th, 2009 at 8:04 am
umm.. hello, is this not 2009? Women used to be restrained and drugged for childbirth and it was pretty horrible. I am pretty sure that any women who has ever been in labor will tell you that you are not really able to think about anything at the time other than childbirth at that moment! Childbirth is a wonderful experience and even inmates should be allowed to experience it and not be chained down like an animal. I am glad to say that I live in CA where this is already banned. Not that we have a great prison system by any means…
August 28th, 2009 at 1:34 pm
Shackling of women in child birth is inhuman, and it is utterly disturbing to read that such a barbaric method is used.
August 30th, 2009 at 10:59 am
I would say, Shacking of women, while in child birth, Is terrible! Where your you want to run to…while you was having child birth pains. Must of been a man who made this rule!
Certainly, wasn’t a women. This would be in human!!!! Shackling should of been
our ruled long-time ago!!
Joyce M Sutton
August 31st, 2009 at 9:17 am
shocking to my senses and apalled to know such a restraint is enforceable anywhere
August 31st, 2009 at 9:59 am
they actually do this?! after 18 hours of labor with my first son, i can say from experience that having to lay in bed that long was bad enough, not to mention the pain. i cant imagine being chained to the bed to boot, not even able to turn over. This is a barbaric practice that needs to be outlawed! regardless of what these women did to be incarcerated, they are still human, and deserving of humane treatment.