While much of our criminal justice system reflects appropriate concern for the safety and welfare of the Commonwealth’s residents, too often it falls short on appropriate displays of compassion and mercy. Shackling female prisoners during childbirth is an example of a corrections system so focused on a onesize-fits-all regulation structure that it puts the lives of mothers and children in danger by treating them as dangerous criminals.

Shackling presents a real threat to the life of the mother and her child. The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American Medical Association, and the United Nations have condemned the practice due to health risks.

The removal of this policy does not present a safety threat to the correctional officers or the public. There are no documented instances of women in labor or delivery escaping or causing harm to themselves, the public, security guards, or medical staff in states that have ended this practice.

Please remove this policy.