CET
04-13-2004, 06:48 PM
I got this letter from another list I'm On and wanted to share it. ************************************************** *******************
CRIMINAL PUNISHMENT
April 5, 2004
I am Dee Ann Newell in Little Rock, Arkansas. I have served
prisoner
parents and their children in Arkansas for more than a decade. I
need
your help in the form of letters and/or testimonials for a very
important mission to correct violations of human rights among the
pregnant women in Arkansas' state prison system.
It is the policy of my state's correctional department to shackle and
handcuff pregnant mothers until the last stages of labor and
delivery,
as it is the policy for any prisoners receiving medical care.
A lawsuit has been filed by one of the mothers, and in response, our
legislature has finally agreed to hold hearings on this issue. I would
like the outcome to be a state law forbidding the use of these
restraints on our pregnant mothers, both during labor and delivery
and
in transport from the prison.
I need letters from those of you who support the abolition of this
incredible violation of human rights, women's rights, and children's
rights. Please send these letters by e-mail (lujo@aristotle.net), fax
(501) 603-0244, or mail to Arkansas Voices for the Children Left
Behind, Inc., Little Rock, AR 72205.
The hearings begin on April 15th before our legislative joint
committee on children and youth. It is primarily our women
legislators
who are initiating these hearings, although one of the more
prominent
women senators does not agree.
Hopefully the hearings will also verify the women's reported lack of
choice about pain medication for a vaginal delivery. No epidurals,
etc. are offered to them, as the OB-GYN under contract with the
department does not "believe" in medication. Of course, they offer
anesthesia for C-sections.
When the mothers return from delivery to the prison, they are in
despair and depression from the loss of their baby, but, in addition,
they are trauma-reactive to the shackling experience and the lack of
pain alleviation. It is often all that they talk about.
I need your help and support with the letters. I have the ACLU,
Amnesty International, the local press (also USA TODAY reported
on the
local article), but your help would be invaluable.
I could provide (or dramatically empty out the letters) at the hearing
to share with the committee members and the press. Please
describe
yourself or organization, number of members---and express your
outrage
and concern.
(The correctional department's PR person compared the security
risk of
a pregnant, laboring mother to an incident wherein two men on the
hoe
squad developed food poisoning and still attempted to flee. If you
have ever had food poisoning, but not delivered a baby, trust me, I
have had both. You can escape with food poisoning perhaps, but no
one
is going far during labor or delivery-nobody!)
The department is citing a blanket policy that takes nothing into
account but the policy itself. Both genders must have the same
policy.
(Good grief, gender discrimination cannot be the issue until men
begin
to have babies.)
Our mothers and their precious babies need to be in celebratory and
safe settings for their first encounters. The mothers need to be
thinking about the delivery, their babies, not their in dignifying and
inhumane circumstances. Their mother-child bonding is difficult
enough
in prison. We should not place yet another obstacle in their paths at
the beginning of the relationship.
And, must I ask....surely, no one believes women prisoners should
unduly suffer in labor and delivery as part of their criminal justice
punishment....but I suspect some do.
Please give me your help and support. The hearing is this Thursday,
April 15. Feel free to forward to others who would support the
abolition of restraints and providing anesthesia for delivery.
Sincerely,
Dee Ann Newell
Project Director:
Family Matters/Parenting from Prison/Even Start/Mentoring Children
of
Prisoners and Chairman of Arkansas Voices for the Children Left
Behind, Inc. 311 North Elm St. Little Rock, AR 72205 Ph. 501-690-
2121
0r 501-660-6886 Ext. 3121 or 501-603-0244
CRIMINAL PUNISHMENT
April 5, 2004
I am Dee Ann Newell in Little Rock, Arkansas. I have served
prisoner
parents and their children in Arkansas for more than a decade. I
need
your help in the form of letters and/or testimonials for a very
important mission to correct violations of human rights among the
pregnant women in Arkansas' state prison system.
It is the policy of my state's correctional department to shackle and
handcuff pregnant mothers until the last stages of labor and
delivery,
as it is the policy for any prisoners receiving medical care.
A lawsuit has been filed by one of the mothers, and in response, our
legislature has finally agreed to hold hearings on this issue. I would
like the outcome to be a state law forbidding the use of these
restraints on our pregnant mothers, both during labor and delivery
and
in transport from the prison.
I need letters from those of you who support the abolition of this
incredible violation of human rights, women's rights, and children's
rights. Please send these letters by e-mail (lujo@aristotle.net), fax
(501) 603-0244, or mail to Arkansas Voices for the Children Left
Behind, Inc., Little Rock, AR 72205.
The hearings begin on April 15th before our legislative joint
committee on children and youth. It is primarily our women
legislators
who are initiating these hearings, although one of the more
prominent
women senators does not agree.
Hopefully the hearings will also verify the women's reported lack of
choice about pain medication for a vaginal delivery. No epidurals,
etc. are offered to them, as the OB-GYN under contract with the
department does not "believe" in medication. Of course, they offer
anesthesia for C-sections.
When the mothers return from delivery to the prison, they are in
despair and depression from the loss of their baby, but, in addition,
they are trauma-reactive to the shackling experience and the lack of
pain alleviation. It is often all that they talk about.
I need your help and support with the letters. I have the ACLU,
Amnesty International, the local press (also USA TODAY reported
on the
local article), but your help would be invaluable.
I could provide (or dramatically empty out the letters) at the hearing
to share with the committee members and the press. Please
describe
yourself or organization, number of members---and express your
outrage
and concern.
(The correctional department's PR person compared the security
risk of
a pregnant, laboring mother to an incident wherein two men on the
hoe
squad developed food poisoning and still attempted to flee. If you
have ever had food poisoning, but not delivered a baby, trust me, I
have had both. You can escape with food poisoning perhaps, but no
one
is going far during labor or delivery-nobody!)
The department is citing a blanket policy that takes nothing into
account but the policy itself. Both genders must have the same
policy.
(Good grief, gender discrimination cannot be the issue until men
begin
to have babies.)
Our mothers and their precious babies need to be in celebratory and
safe settings for their first encounters. The mothers need to be
thinking about the delivery, their babies, not their in dignifying and
inhumane circumstances. Their mother-child bonding is difficult
enough
in prison. We should not place yet another obstacle in their paths at
the beginning of the relationship.
And, must I ask....surely, no one believes women prisoners should
unduly suffer in labor and delivery as part of their criminal justice
punishment....but I suspect some do.
Please give me your help and support. The hearing is this Thursday,
April 15. Feel free to forward to others who would support the
abolition of restraints and providing anesthesia for delivery.
Sincerely,
Dee Ann Newell
Project Director:
Family Matters/Parenting from Prison/Even Start/Mentoring Children
of
Prisoners and Chairman of Arkansas Voices for the Children Left
Behind, Inc. 311 North Elm St. Little Rock, AR 72205 Ph. 501-690-
2121
0r 501-660-6886 Ext. 3121 or 501-603-0244