State Lawmakers Pass Legislation Protecting Pregnant and Postpartum People from Shackling and Force

ALBANY, NY – Today, the New York state legislature passed A.1670-B (Rosenthal) / S.2667-C (Salazar), legislation that would prohibit the use of restraints on pregnant and postpartum people in custodial settings, including courthouses, police stations, and hospitals, and protect them from unnecessary force in prisons and jails. In response, the New York Civil Liberties Union issued the following statement, attributable to Policy Counsel Jenna Lauter:

“Last month, a woman arrested on low-level charges went into labor while handcuffed behind her back and was forced to give birth in a Brooklyn courtroom, while court staff looked on. No New Yorker should endure this kind of dangerous and cruel indignity, or be subjected to dangerous force, like tasers or chemical agents, while pregnant or postpartum.

“For years, our state has outlawed the use of shackles and restraints on pregnant and postpartum New Yorkers in jails and prisons. But legislators today rightly extended this crucial protection to other custodial settings – including courthouses, police stations, and hospitals – and made clear that force should not be used against pregnant or postpartum people in prison or jail.  Governor Hochul must sign A.1670-B / S.2667-C into law so no one in New York experiences this trauma and humiliation again.”