Submission to the Special Rapporteur on Torture regarding human rights abuses of incarcerated women in the U.S.
The U.S. Legal Program, together with the Rebecca Project for Human Rights and Women on the Rise Telling HerStory (WORTH), submitted a letter to Mr. Manfred Nowak, Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, on June 18, 2009. The letter describes the U.S. practice of shackling pregnant women during the birthing process — a barbaric practice that needlessly inflicts excruciating pain and humiliation. The letter provides first-hand accounts of women who have experienced these violations and analyzes shackling as a violation of U.S. obligations under the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.