'I felt like a tied-up dog': Shackled pregnant inmate sues NC prison leaders

The North Carolina Correctional Institution for Women in Raleigh demeaned and mistreated pregnant prison inmates by shackling them, even during labor, according to a federal lawsuit.

Posted 7:27 p.m. Sep 3, 2021 — Updated 11:01 p.m. Sep 3, 2021

Cullen Browder

, WRAL anchor/reporter

RALEIGH, N.C. — The North Carolina Correctional Institution for Women in Raleigh demeaned and mistreated pregnant prison inmates by shackling them, even during labor, according to a federal lawsuit.

The lawsuit, which names former Secretary of Public Safety Erik Hooks and various prison staffers as defendants, comes days after state lawmakers unanimously passed a bill that bars handcuffing or shackling pregnant women in prison with few exceptions.

A pregnant Tracey Edwards was put in NCCIW in 2019 on drug charges related to an opioid addiction. In December of that year, she was taken to UNC Hospitals to deliver her baby.

The lawsuit claims she was wrongly shackled and mistreated before and after the birth.

"I just feel like no one, no person, not even no animal should be treated the way I was treated. I felt like a tied-up dog," Edwards told WRAL Investigates by phone.

Now free and living out of state, Edwards and her attorney say officers violated prison policy by shackling her wrists and legs during transport, hours of induced labor and shortly after delivering her baby.

"The officer would not even unhandcuff me to comfort my baby," she said. "She was screaming, and I was crying in tears, begging could they please uncuff me so I could comfort my baby."

"Every person, including incarcerated people, have a right to be free from cruel and unusual punishment," said Hassan Zavareei, one of Edwards’ attorneys.

According to the lawsuit, an intravenous line got tangled with Edwards' handcuffs and was pulled out, "causing her to bleed profusely."

DPS officials declined to comment on the lawsuit. But they said department policy states that pregnant inmates must "not be restrained by leg, waist, or ankle restraints," except during transport and unless the offender presents an immediate, serious threat of hurting herself, staff or others, including her fetus or child.

"No sir, not at that time," Edwards said when asked if she fit that criteria. " At that time, I wasn’t upset. I wasn’t anything. I was actually kind of excited I was having my baby."

Edwards’ attorneys argue the mistreatment goes beyond her, although they don’t name any other women in the suit.

"Here in North Carolina, there’s a system of severe mistreatment of pregnant prisoners," Zavareei said.

Edwards said she hopes the lawsuit will shine a light on the problem and protect others.

"I just don’t want anyone else to be treated like an animal, tied up and not able to comfort their baby, to be pulled from their medicine," she said. "I just want everyone to realize what happened and what they did is not right."

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