A woman in Mississippi is being tried for “depraved heart murder” because prosecutors claim that the then-16-year-old’s cocaine use caused her baby to be stillborn. NOW, among others, is urging the court to dismiss the charges.
After a Montana judge sentenced a teacher who sexually assaulted a student to only thirty days in jail, Montana NOW and others fought back against the ruling. Now, cases like this are causing the state to reevaluate its court system.
Shackling happens to most prisoners, but is particularly abhorrent when pregnant prisoners in labor are subject to these restraints. The practice can endanger the health of both mother and baby. Massachusetts is one of only 18 states that prohibit the practice, in part thanks to the Massachusetts Anti-Shackling Coalition, of which NOW is a part.
In preparation for President Obama’s trip to Saudi Arabia, NOW–along with several other non-profits–signed onto a Congressional letter urging our president to confront the Kingdom’s human rights abuses, which include “violations targeting women.”
Printable PDF March 19, 2014 This document was produced by the NOW Foundation. The U.S. Senate turned back legislation offered by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand that would assign sexual assault cases to specially trained military prosecutors, removing them from the chain of command. Gillibrand’s bill, The Military Justice Improvement Act – S. 1752, had the support Read more …
Tell the Senate to vote No on the SAVE America Act.