Protecting Pregnant and Postpartum People from Shackling and Force

New York is failing to uphold the safety, health, and humanity of pregnant and postpartum people in prisons and jails. People who have been pregnant while incarcerated describe the experience as profoundly isolating, frightening, and dehumanizing. Women in prison are considered a high-risk maternal health group, and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) estimates that they also suffer disproportionate rates of postpartum depression. Moreover, exposure to incarceration is associated with an increased rate of low birth weights and preterm births.3 New York must take steps to ensure that incarceration does not equate to a sentence of reproductive trauma and intergenerational harm. A.1670-A (Rosenthal) / S.2667-B (Salazar) would help reduce the dangers and indignities pregnant and postpartum people face in custody by strengthening protections against shackling and force while better supporting health outcomes.