By Emma Mayerson, Development Assistant
Tamaya Garcia has been fighting for Assembly Bill 568 for two years with our grant partner the Center for Young Women’s Development. AB 568 would ensure that the least restrictive restraints possible are used on pregnant women who are in jail. In other words, it would end the use of belly chains, leg irons, ankle restraints and other shackling devices that jeopardize the health of pregnant women and their unborn children – devices that are still used in jails and prisons across our state.
Tamaya was a 2010 fellow in our Women’s Policy Institute (WPI), a program that trains women to use public policy to create long-term change in California. Tamaya worked on AB 568 with a team of passionate advocates and devoted mentors. Although Tamaya has graduated from the program, her advocacy on the bill continues. Check out her thought-provoking article explaining AB 568 and the urgent need to support this bill as it makes its way to Governor Brown’s desk.