To Whom It May Concern:

I encourage you to join the Virginia Department of Corrections in limiting the use of constraints for pregnant inmates. I realize that those who have broken the law must pay their debt, but as a woman and a mother, I believe the unnecessary use of shackles during pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum recovery is inhumane and lacking in respect for the basic human dignity of the mother and child. In fact the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Medical Association  have stated that this type of shackling poses safety risks to mother and child.

In states that have adopted a more compassionate policy, there are no documented cases of the laboring/delivering woman harming herself or staff members.

Thank you for considering my comments.

Therese Zepeda