SPARK RJ Now Legislate This! 2010

This year, Legislate THIS!, the public policy arm of the Speak Justice Take Action Program  of SPARK Reproductive Justice NOW! is organizing a campaign calling on state legislators to prohibit the unsafe, cruel and inhumane practice of shackling of incarcerated, pregnant women during transport, labor, delivery and recovery.  However, we cannot do it without your support!

Georgia is one of forty-four states that permits the shackling of incarcerated women during the birthing and laboring processes. Over the last few years, several states (IL, VT, CA, TX, NY and NM) have determined that this practice is not only unnecessary, but also cruel and inhumane and have prohibited it through statute. In 2008, the Federal Bureau of Prisons prohibited the practice in federal prisons after considerable lobbying from a broad range of prison advocacy, medical professional associations and civil liberties and women's rights groups. More recently, the 8th District Court of Appeals held that "the U.S. Constitution protects pregnant women in prison from the unnecessary and unsafe practice of shackling during labor and childbirth." In addition, the practice of shackling incarcerated women during labor, delivery and recovery violates international human rights standards and norms.

 

Clearly, the time to end this practice in Georgia is NOW! How many more women will labor in pain, silence, obscurity and shame? It is indeed a cruel, inhumane and unsafe to force women to endure the laboring and birthing process with chains on their wrists and ankles.

 

Please Join Us for the

2010 Legislate THIS! Day of Action

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

8:30 AM-1:30 PM

Trinity United Methodist Church

265 Washington St SW, Atlanta, GA 30303

 

Keynote Speaker: Lorna Hogan, Rebecca Project for Human Rights

 

To register for the Day of Action!, please visit http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dEdJZUFtMmRZQnBEbGFWZW5uQXNVa2c6MA

 

For more information about Legislate THIS! visit our website at: www.legislatethis.org.

If you would like to volunteer for the Day of Action or become a member of Legislate THIS! Core Organizing Team, please contact Tonya at tonya@sparkrj.org.