Demand Dignity for Pregnant and Postpartum New Yorkers 

Collage of a pregnant person, a person in a hospital gown, and handcuffs.

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Governor Hochul has the ability to make sure nothing like this occurs again by signing into law a bill passed by the state legislature that limits when officers can use restraints or force on pregnant and postpartum people involved in the criminal legal system. The bill would protect the health and dignity of pregnant New Yorkers, moms, and their infants across the state.

Take Action:

Tell Governor Hochul we need this law to protect and respect pregnant and postpartum New Yorkers. 

The recipients:

Governor Hochul

The message:

Take Action:

Tell Governor Hochul we need this law to protect and respect pregnant and postpartum New Yorkers. 

The recipients:

Governor Hochul

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Last May, a woman arrested on low-level charges went into labor in a Brooklyn courtroom with her hands cuffed behind her back and chained to a bench. Officers didn’t remove her handcuffs until after her water broke and her baby was crowning. No New Yorker should have to endure this kind of dangerous and cruel indignity.
You have the ability to ensure nothing like this occurs again by signing into law a bill passed by the state legislature that limits when officers can use restraints or force on pregnant and postpartum people involved in the criminal legal system.
 
Pregnant and postpartum incarcerated people are already at high medical risk, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). They may be more likely to suffer from postpartum depression and to deliver preterm and low birth weight infants – outcomes that can impact a child throughout their entire life.

When officers shackle a pregnant or postpartum person, they may increase the risk of medical complications. Restraints also make it difficult for doctors to examine and treat a patient in situations where time is of the essence.

Organizations from the American Medical Association to the UN Committee Against Torture all agree: shackling pregnant women is a human rights violation. That’s why our state has attempted to outlaw the practice in jails and prisons. But we must strengthen this crucial protection and extend it to other custodial settings – including courthouses, police stations, and hospitals – by signing A.1670-B / S.2667-C.

The bill also protects pregnant and postpartum New Yorkers in prisons and jails from the dangerous use of force, including Tasers and chemical agents, while preserving officers’ ability to maintain safety and security. And it prohibits the unnecessary and degrading practice of having correction officers stand in the exam room while a person receives pregnancy-related medical care, including during labor and delivery.

Importantly, the bill allows pregnant and postpartum incarcerated people to have a support person present during care related to all pregnancy outcomes—not only birth.

I’m counting on you to stand up for the safety and dignity of pregnant and postpartum New Yorkers and their infant children by signing this bill.

Sincerely,

[First Name] [Last Name]

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Demand Dignity for Pregnant and Postpartum New Yorkers

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Demand Dignity for Pregnant and Postpartum New Yorkers 