Let's create a world where every birth is safe
Join us in advocating for dignity and safety for every birth in Oregon
Our Work
Campaign 4 Safe Births works to end the use of mechanical restraints on incarcerated people during pregnancy, labor, childbirth, and postpartum recovery. Through education, coalition-building, and advocacy, we are advancing dignity, safety, and accountability.
Why it matters
Pregnancy, labor, birth, and postpartum recovery require movement, medical access, privacy, and trust. Shackling can interfere with emergency care, increase the risk of falls and injury, intensify trauma, and undermine the dignity of both the parent and child.
What are mechanical Restraints?
Mechanical restraints are devices, such as handcuffs, leg irons, or belly chains, used to limit a person’s movement. During pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum recovery, this practice is harmful, dehumanizing, and dangerous. Ending shackling is a matter of public health, reproductive justice, and human rights.
What Medical Guidance Says
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) states that incarcerated individuals should never be shackled during labor evaluation or labor and delivery, and supports policies that restrict shackling throughout pregnancy, transport, delivery, and postpartum recovery.
The American Medical Association(AMA) has long opposed shackling pregnant people during labor, delivery, and postpartum recovery, recognizing that it is unnecessary and unsafe.
The American College of Nurse-Midwives(ACNM) warns that shackling during pregnancy carries significant health risks for the pregnant person, fetus, and newborn, and states that restraints should not be routine during prenatal, labor, or postpartum care.
The National Commission on Correctional Health Care(NCCHC) recommends avoiding custody restraints during pregnancy and the postpartum period and states that restraints must not be used during labor and delivery, including transport to the hospital for labor.