Did you know that since 2005, it is illegal in California to shackle pregnant inmates while they are being transported to the hospital while in labor?

But did you know that in other instances, shackling of pregnant inmates is still legal?

According to The Guardian, ten U.S. states currently have shackling laws on the books (California, Colorado, Illinois, New Mexico, New York, Texas, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia and Pennsylvania).

California Legislation

In 2005, CA legislation was enacted with AB 478 (Lieber). As Salon.com previously wrote, this legislation states that no prisoner:

“shall not be shackled by the wrists, ankles, or both during labor, including during transport to the hospital, during delivery, and while in recovery after giving birth.”

Although the law has been in effect for some time, recently it has become evident that not all correctional officers are abiding by it in the jails and prisons across the state.

According to California NOW, our Golden State currently has the distinction of having the largest female inmate population of any state.

AB 1900 (Skinner)

New legislation is currently being considered to amend the 2005 law, enter AB 1900 (Skinner). If passed by the California legislature, the bill will prohibit shackling of pregnant women in county jails, state prisons and juvenile facilities at any time unless the woman presents a danger to herself or others.

You can peruse the documents related to this bill here.

Per Karen Shain, Policy Director at Legal Services for Prisoners with Children, a legal advocacy group based in San Francisco:

The bill comes out of the personal experience of a young mother who was incarcerated at Contra Costa County Jail during the bulk of her pregnancy.  She was shackled every time she went to court–oftentimes with a belly shackle and attached to a male prisoner.  She was also shackled at the hospital where she was admitted with pre-eclampsia–she was shackled to the bed, having to call a guard every time she needed to go to the bathroom.  Then she was attached to a large chain that would give her enough distance to be able to use a commode, but not enough to actually use the bathroom in her room!  While it is illegal for pregnant women to be shackled when going to the hospital when in labor, all other shackling of pregnant women is currently legal in California.

The bill will require that Corrections Standards Authority (CSA) set uniform standards across the State of California for how incarcerated pregnant women may be restrained.

As of August 12, 2010 the bill has passed the house and made it’s way to the senate, having been amended and a third reading has been ordered.

The HAMO Connection

Our partner agency Family, Maternal and Child Health Programs of Contra Costa county has a program, Lift Every Voice, that has been an integral part of raising awareness of this issue and advocating for this piece of legislation.

We here at HAMO believe that every baby matters and that every mother, regardless of her current status, deserves access to appropriate prenatal and postpartum care. This is a human rights issue, not only for the expectant mother, but also for the child she is carrying.

How You Can Help

1) Send a letter of support for AB 1900 to Nancy Skinner’s office in Sacramento, as well as a copy to your CA State Senator, (updated 8/18/10) and Governor Schwarzenegger.

Updated 8/18/10: The ACLU of Northern California has a handy tool for you to contact Governor Schwarzenegger. Find it by clicking here.

• Download the fact sheet.
• Download sample letter here.

2) Spread the word to your network. Blog, Tweet, and Facebook it. Talk about it with your friends.

Any reporters reading this? If you email me I would be happy to put you in touch with our sources: lisa at helpamotherout dotorg.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on this issue. Had you heard about shackling pregnant women inmates previously? If you reside outside California, do you know your state’s policy on addressing this practice?

Image from: http://blogs.pitch.com/plog/2007/08/lately_western_missouri_seems.php

Photo courtesy of http://www.ninanaylor.com/

This is a repost of my guest post for Poverty Insights earlier this week. I’m thrilled to be at the BlogHer conference today soaking up the information and bloggy energy. Of course, I’m also there to talk about diapers. Are you there too? Please stop by the Huggies Every Little Bottom booth (#2713) in the Expo Hall and say hi! Would love to meet you!

Any parent will tell you it is a terrible inconvenience to run out to the drugstore late at night because you ran out of diapers. But this occasional inconvenience is nothing compared to the crisis unfolding across the nation for families who are unable to provide their children with an adequate supply of diapers.

The Social Safety Net Does Not Include Diapers

For qualifying households, safety net programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Women, Infants, and Children program (WIC) help supplement food, including infant formula. Unfortunately, no state or federal safety net program addresses the basic need of diapers.

It can take an average of $1,100 a year to adequately diaper a baby. And while cloth diapers are an option for more affluent households that are capable of maintaining them– the truth of the matter is that there exists a huge diaper divide with families living in crisis. Most families living in poverty lack access to affordable laundering facilities, as well as the start up costs associated with cloth diapering.

The Great Recession has amplified the numbers of families who are unable to meet this basic need. Even during boom times, families in need were forced to make impossible choices for their children; having to choose between items like food, medicine, diapers, or utility bills. “Diapers are a must-have. You can’t skip them like you can breakfast,” explained one struggling California mother.

Keeping Children Healthy, Helping Families Become Self Sufficient

Every baby deserves a clean diaper. Children left for extended periods of time in dirty diapers are at a higher risk for health problems including severe diaper rash, urinary tract infections, jaundice, and even staph infections.  Babies left in soiled diapers are more likely to cry from discomfort, which can increase caregiver stress and parental depression. In extreme cases, this type of stress on a family unit may lead to child neglect and abuse.

Lacking a steady access to diapers may also result in a family’s inability to participate in childcare programs, school, and even regular employment. We know that early childhood learning and development are critical to at-risk children.

The majority of early care and education programs, including free or subsidized programs like Early Head Start, require parents to provide disposable diapers prior to entering the program. If a caregiver is unable to meet this requirement, they may not be able to participate in regular employment or job training programs – essential factors in a family’s ability to be self sufficient.

The Long View: Changing Public Policy

The Diaper Bank, a non profit that centralizes fundraising for and distribution of free diapers to poor families in Connecticut distributes over 200,000 diapers per month to human service agencies. In recent years several grassroots organizations have sprouted up across the country in order to address this issue at local levels, primarily through charitable giving.

Recently Kimberley-Clark, a major diaper manufacturer, launched a campaign to address this issue from a commercial stand point. The number of families who have been helped by these collective efforts is astounding and truly awesome.

However inspiring these efforts are, they are a drop in the bucket in terms of addressing diaper needs at the national level. Charitable giving is, at best, a short term solution. In the long term it is essential for advocates of women and children, as well as advocates working to end hunger, poverty, and homelessness, to raise awareness and collectively advocate for the addition of diapers and other hygiene items in the safety net.

The addition of diapers must be codified into the fabric of social safety net programs. If we can ensure that a baby cries less, reduce caregiver stress, and enable families to achieve self sufficiency, we can change the world. Even with something as basic as diapers.

Bloggers take Manhattan?

A few HAMO peeps and friends will be there to join the masses who are descending onto Midtown Manhattan for the annual BlogHer conference.

Are you going?

We would love to meet you!

Please stop by the Huggies Every Little Bottom booth (#2713) in the Expo Hall and say hi!

I’ll be at the booth Friday 12-2pm then Saturday 2-4pm.

Kim will be at the booth both Friday and Saturday 12-2pm.

You can follow our adventures via Twitter:

Lisa: @helpamotherout

Kim: @kimtracyprince

In addition to Kim, Every Little Bottom Blog Ambassadors will be working the booth and talking diapers:

@jennyonthespot @rookieheather @SmartyPantsMama @Mommywords @rookiemoms @rookiewhitney @JessicAPISS

I’m grateful to  Huggies’ Every Little Bottom campaign for sponsoring HAMO’s presence at BlogHer.

http://www.xavierthexman.com/events.php

We’re so grateful to Xavier the X-Man for including our cause in his annual benefit car show in San Diego. A portion of the proceeds from T Shirt sales, as well as a portion of the day’s sales from our friends at Pachuca Cosmetics, will benefit our local diaper program.  Shout out to Alicia for making the magic happen!

MAGIC 92.5 presents Xavier The X-Man’s 8th Annual Cruise for the Cause Blood & Bone Marrow Drive Car Show on Saturday, August 14th at Otay Ranch Town Center from 10a to 3p. Stop by to donate blood and get on the National Bone Marrow registry. Together we can save lives and help kids with cancer.

“Hey it’s Xavier The X-Man, I personally want to invite each and every one of you to the 8th Annual Cruise for the Cause Blood & Bone Marrow Drive Car Show at Otay Ranch Town Center inChula Vista, CA. We’re taking over the middle of the mall and the huge walk way on the side of the mall. This year makes me more excited than others because not only are we going to have more room for this great event but hopefully more people can participate and donate blood with the easy access of the venue. Remember, you don’t need to be into cars to help save a life. We are inviting every one to join us … Classic cars, Lowriders, Hot Rods, Tuners, Bikes, Customs, SUV’s, Trucks andMotorcycles. Please spread the word about this years The X-Man’s Cruise from the Cause Car Show, I really need your help to make this a success.

Part of the proceeds will benefit Help A Mother Out.org, helping homeless mothers with kids & Emilo Nares Foundation, helping children with Cancer.

http://www.helpamotherout.org/

http://www.emilionaresfoundation.org/

I hope to see everyone there… including past participants and I would like to encourage other groups to come out as well as more families and companies. Til next time ~ Xavier The X-Man“

Photo courtesy of Children's Network

This is a guest post from Amanda Winn of the Children’s Network of Solano County, a partner agency in our diaper distribution network. With your support we’re thrilled to provide diapers to needy families of Solano County.

In the summer of 2009, local Family Resource Centers (FRCs) throughout Solano County began commenting that more and more families were coming in looking for assistance with diapers. Staff members began noticing mothers standing outside WalMart and Target asking not for food, but for packages of diapers for their children. We knew the recession was hitting Solano families hard, but we had no idea just how bad things were until we began digging a little deeper.

In a matter of months, the United Way of the Bay Area, Asset Policy Initiative of California, and the Associated Press reported independently of each other that Solano County was one of the most stressed Bay Area counties due to the current economic downturn. An Economic Stress Index created by the Associated Press and published in Contra Costa Times listed Solano as THE most stressed Bay Area County based on local bankruptcy, foreclosure, and unemployment rates. According to the American Community Survey, of all families in Solano County living at or below poverty level, over 80% have children under the age of 18 in the home.

Solano County is home to the Integrated Family Support Initiative (IFSI), a collaborative of public and private agencies that provide in-home support to isolated and at-risk families with children 0-5 years of age in the home. At these meetings, public health nurses, child welfare workers, and local non-profits were all saying the same thing. There were very limited resources available for families who needed diapers. The agencies knew where to turn for cash aid, food assistance, or shelter assistance, but there were no formal supports for diapers. The Family Resource Centers (FRCs), neighborhood-based agencies that provide basic needs and support services to local families, were reporting not only a dramatic spike in the number of families needing support, but a new intensity in the type of services being sought. Families were coming to the FRCs with a host of concerns ranging from basic needs access and unemployment to homelessness and domestic violence. Many times, the same family would walk through the doors of an FRC or be referred to IFSI with many of these issues simultaneously.

As local agencies are being forced to reduce services, limit hours of operation, or close their doors entirely due to local and State-wide budget cuts, families who find themselves in crisis are left with fewer options and available resources. In September of 2009, the Children’s Network began a County-wide diaper drive. Since then, over 21,550 diapers have been collected from a wide-range of individuals and organizations, and we’re still going! The Diaper Drive has been one way the community can come together to help local families feel a little less alone.

Photo courtesy of Children's Network

Support our work to bring diapers to children in Solano County and beyond. Here are three ways you can take action:

1. Donate Help a Mother Out’s through Network for Good. All proceeds benefit our diaper program, enabling HAMO to bulk purchase diapers.
2. Donate diapers directly to  Children’s Network of Solano County through their Amazon wishlist.
3. Local donations can also be made to The Children’s Network. 2320 Courage Drive, Suite 107, Fairfield CA 94533.  (707) 421-7229

Amanda Hopping-Winn is the Community Organization Analyst at the Children’s Network of Solano County. She is a native of the Philadelphia area and has focused her professional career in direct practice and policy advocacy for children and families, especially those with limited incomes.  Amanda received her MSW degree from UC Berkeley before joining the Children’s Network in 2009.  She and her family live in the East Bay and spend most of their free time hiking, frequenting dog parks with their beloved pup, and traveling.

I’m at @kimtracyprince and I’ll bet you anything @helpamotherout will be there, too.    Just follow the #elb Twitter stream to see what’s up and join in.  We’ll be talking about diapers, BlogHer, and how you shouldn’t wear a diaper to BlogHer.

The other ambassadors are:

@jennyonthespot @rookieheather @SmartyPantsMama @Mommywords @rookiemoms @rookiewhitney @JessicAPISS

JOIN US ON THE TWEETGRID HERE:  http://is.gd/dN8Gn

You can join our cause here.

We will continue to primarily use our fan page to stay in touch with you all, but now the nifty Causes application will make it easier for our supporters to give back through the social networking site.

If you’re the type of person who likes to request friends and family donate to charity in honor of your birthday or another special occasion, this is just for YOU!

All donations through Causes are processed through Network for Good by way of Facebook Cause’s application. The donation will go directly into our restricted account, which is administered by our fiscal sponsor, Point.

All funds collected will benefit our diaper program.

Check out: http://www.wnpt.org/productions/chc/

Bloggers (and child) join me at the Los Angeles Mission

Here’s how it happened:

Help a Mother Out was able to give 42,000 Huggies diapers to the Los Angeles Mission’s Anne Douglas Center For Women as part of our collaboration with the Every Little Bottom program.  As the messenger of such great news, I was charged with finding a home for this giant – ahem – load. Our current Los Angeles-area partner agencies didn’t have room for so many diapers all at once, we’re talking pallets and pallets and pallets!  So I branched out.

I remembered coming across the Los Angeles Mission, where the woman who answered the phone many months ago told me about how the Anne Douglas Center hands out 5 diapers a day to mothers who come to the door at 10:30 AM.  That is their daily ration of diapers per child.  Five diapers!  Can you imagine?   The center relies completely on donations.  I called them again a few weeks ago to ask if they had warehouse space for this many diapers.  I spoke with Chaplain Bridget, who blessed me right then and there over the phone and thanked me up and down for thinking of them.

Luckily, it all worked out.  The Los Angeles Mission has a very stable  infrastructure of staff and volunteers already in place.  I am inspired  by what they’ve been able to do and I look forward to learning more from them.  Several staff members, including Barbara, the Director of Operations, were on hand last week when I headed downtown to be present when the diapers arrived.

When we were all set up, we had 2,000 diapers stacked around a table with the HAMO and mission banners on display.  We had TV crews.  We had bloggers.

The women who lugged their strollers up the stairs outside the door (there is a ramp, but for some reason the stairs were the preferred method) were brave enough to come into our little circus area.  They bravely allowed to be photographed and filmed, and talked to us as we scrambled to provide them with the right size diapers for their kids.  I confess.  I felt like an asshole.

There I was, organizing this big presentation of diapers, worried about getting press to attend, worried about getting people to come to receive the diapers, worried about forgetting to take pictures or video or to write down people’s names.  I had chosen my outfit carefully, worried about where to park on skid row, wondered where I would eat lunch.

And there they were.  Homeless, broke, with babies.

True, the publicity, however little the event attracted, will undoubtedly serve the greater good by spreading the message to others.  I hope that more people wake up to the fact that diapers are not covered by public assistance the way food and formula are.  I hope that more people learn about how many moms and dads are affected by what is now such a common worry that it has a name:  diaper need.  One in three.  That’s right, 1 in 3 moms have had to choose between purchasing diapers and paying another crucial household bill like rent or electricity.  Or they could have no money at all.

And now the Anne Douglas Center, which relies solely on donations, has 40,000 more diapers in the closet to give out when a needy parent comes to the door.  And that makes me feel a little better.

“Ain’t nobody ever thrown me a birthday party.”

The Anne Douglas Center at the Los Angeles Mission serves the homeless community with food, showers, clothing, toys, and more, while also operating a resident rehabilitation program for women addicted to drugs and/or alcohol.  After the diaper handout was over, the bloggers toured the women’s facility and even met some of the residents.  It’s a building full of hope and generosity.  Director Barbara embodied both with great patience as she led us through the halls, recounting tales of women who turned their lives around in those rooms, many of whom had never in their previous hard lives had a birthday party, or remembered the last time they were sober for one.  Group parties here make them break down in tears.

When I get overwhelmed, I think about people like Barbara and the women at the center to remember that there is good news in the world.  The TV interviews I did that day haven’t aired yet, what with the crowded news days full of stories about Mel Gibson, Lindsay Lohan, and BP.  You have to come to places like this blog to learn that it’s not hopeless, that even stuck at your office desk, you too can help.

Donate to Help a Mother Out

Learn More About Every Little Bottom

Volunteer at the Mommy and Me breakfast on Saturday mornings at the Los Angeles Mission

[photo credits:  Julia Frey and me]