In Labor and In Chains

Shawanna Nelson was sentenced to six years in prison for credit card fraud and bad checks, she was 5.5 months pregnant at the time she was incarcerated. When she went into labor at the hospital her legs and arms were shackled to her bed despite the presence of an armed guard. Incarcerated pregnant women are still being shackled throughout their pregnancies and during childbirth, and it is becoming increasingly important that we let legislators know how important it is that this infringement upon basic human rights is stopped.