Send a letter to end of shackling pregnant women and new moms in NC!
Until last month, people from correctional institutions in North Carolina who gave birth were being restrained--literally shackled!--to their gurney. In fact, in recent months, two people were restrained throughout their labor at a local facility in North Carolina.
Now, because of the successful campaign led by SisterSong NC, North Carolina state officials have agreed to change their corrections policy to stop the shackling of incarcerated people during labor and delivery.
**But the fight isn’t over! It’s time to expand the policy so there is NO shackling of people in NC throughout the entirety of the pregnancy, postpartum up to 8 weeks, and during lactation and breastfeeding! Send a Letter to the Editor to your local paper calling for ending shackling of pregnant women and new moms.
It’s super easy! Just fill in the form and click “NEXT” to see your sample letter and talking points.
Here’s how to send your letter:
1) Fill in your name and contact information on this page in the form and click NEXT. Important note: We ask for your phone number because papers require this info with all letters, but your phone will NOT be published or shared!
2) When you get to the next screen, choose a newspaper for your letter—and then click on the Sample, Letter, and Talking Points buttons to write your letter. If you want to use part, or all of that sample letter, just copy and paste the text into the small empty box to the right on that page. It's easy!
3) Click send and watch for your letter to be published!