Essay Sample on Restraining Pregnant Women

Assata became pregnant during her trial, and a month later was officially told this. She faced many struggles during her pregnancy, but a policy I have found that has changed since she was in jail is the restraining rules. Throughout the essay, I will discuss the policy in Illinois, how it was for Assata, what I think she would think of the policy now, and what actions she would take today.

“I was taken to Roosevelt Hospital in Metuchen, new jersey, and shackled to the bed by my foot. Dr. Garrett had established that I was one month pregnant. When he visited me he demanded that the shackles be removed at once (based on elementary principle that proper treatment, both mental and physical, of a woman threatning miscarriage would not seem to include being chained to a bedpost).” (Assata 141)  Being chained to a bed while being examined was just one of the awful things that Assata went through while being pregnant, other things being guarded 24/7 and being refused to see the doctor of her choosing. Later in the chapter “They put me in an ambulance, chained me to a stretcher, and brought me back to the Women’s House of Detention at Rikers Island.” (Assata 144) When she got back they took her away from her child as well, and this caused Assata a great deal of depression, as well as being forced to get an examination. A little while later after refusing “... they called in the goon squad (several large female officers). They all jumped on me and started beating me. They had me on the floor- eventually my arms and legs were chained. They dragged me by the chains to PSA and stopped only when a nurse asked them to please stop… They took me to the observation room, and left me, hands and feet cuffed… The cuffs cut into my skin (the scars are still visible), and my wrists were bleeding. (Assata 144-145) Assata was in that room for 2 weeks without necessities, they did offer her multiple drugs to help the pain, but being the stubborn woman she is, wouldn’t allow it unless it was from her doctor of choice. 

In the current day, the policies for restraints in Illinois would not have allowed any of the things to happen to Assata. “ (b) A county department of corrections shall not apply security restraints ( (1) “Restraints” means any physical restraint or mechanical device used to control the movement of a prisoner’s body or limbs (ilga.gov)’ to a prisoner that has been determined by a qualified medical professional to be pregnant and is known by the county department of corrections to be pregnant or in postpartum recovery ‘(3) “Post- Partum” means, as determined by her physician… the period immediately following delivery, including the entire period a woman is in the hospital or infirmary after birth (ilga.gov)’ unless the corrections official makes an individualized determination that the prisoner presents a flight risk” (ilga.gov). You may be thinking now, well maybe the officer may have thought Assata was assuming she was a flight risk, but in 3b of the same section it states “Leg irons, shackles or waist shackles shall not be used on any pregnant or postpartum prisoner regardless of security classifications” so, in our time, the use of metal restraints could cause serious problems. Following her discharge from the hospital she was restrained with metal cuffs, in section b(8) states “ Upon discharge from a medical facility, postpartum prisoners shall be restrained only with handcuffs in front of the body during transport to the county department of corrections. A correctional official shall immediately remove all security restraints upon written or oral request by medical personnel.” Again, Assata being chained for weeks on end would not happen nowadays. Especially because the handcuffs should be removed IMMEDIATELY after getting to the facilities. 

In reflection to think about how Assata would react to these policies, I believe she would seek immediate help from Evelyn to put these situations in her case. The fact that these things happened at all is immoral to any human being, I don’t think that it was all because Assata was black, I think it was just because of her being in prison. I think that if she found out that these policies were put in place, she would feel relieved that other women don’t have to struggle through pregnancy in this area as she did. The fact that the text and the rules match up to how Assata’s situation went is very intriguing to me, and makes me believe she is not the only one who did go through abuse like this. I am sure that she also tried to get this fixed when she got out and could start fighting again for what she went through. Apart from me wanting to believe that the policies were helped because of Assata’s story, maybe that’s a stretch. 

As a woman, I can’t imagine being tied down during any of this, and even worse with metal restraints. I have seen the effects that postpartum depression can do on women, and those women have had their babies with them. Assata being separated from her child and on top of that being restrained for weeks with the restraints digging and cutting at her skin makes me feel awful. I do hope that other states take these restraint policies as we do. The mental health of prisoners reflects on how they act, and if they act poorly, they can be sentenced to more time, and possibly more time away from their child, it makes my heartbreak. Giving birth is a beautiful thing, and I think that even if the woman is in prison, she should get a comfortable delivery and recovery so that her baby and herself can stay healthy.