Power

Shackling Women Prisoners During Childbirth is Immoral

The Virginia Department of Corrections (DOC) decided to strengthen and expand existing policies banning shackling of pregnant inmates during labor, delivery and post- recovery. The National Religious Campaign Against Torture applauds this step. However, the cruel and inhumane practice of shackling inmates who are in labor still occurs in some local and regional correctional facilities.  Virginia should join the 13 states that have enacted legislation to prohibit this barbaric practice.

The Warning Kansas Sends to the Women of Virginia

As a medical doctor and former Commissioner of Health under four governors, I have a good idea of how efforts by Governor Bob McDonnell to "regulate" abortion care will turn out. Medically-inappropriate and unnecessary regulations will only serve to restrict access to the full range of reproductive health care services and further marginalize young, low-income, uninsured and minority women by decreasing their health care options.