ATLANTA — Atlanta-based healthcare providers are demanding better treatment for in-custody patients.

Routine shackling is listed as a concerning behavior seen with patient care, according to a report from the stop criminalization of our patients organization.

These concerns brought several healthcare providers together for a rally in northeast Atlanta on Thursday afternoon.

According to Scoop Executive Director Mark Spencer, an open letter calling to end patient medical privacy violations has over 200 signatures across 25 states.

“The patient will also be shackled between one, two, three, sometimes all four limbs to their hospital beds,” Spencer said. “This is just standard practice 24 hours a day.”

Now, the healthcare providers are asking for hospitals to improve the quality of care for patients in custody.

“We find the claim that it can introduce a safety risk for an officer to sit at the doorway instead of inside the patient room to be pretty ridiculous because the patient is still shackled to their hospital bed,” Spencer said.

The group is demanding hospitals provide better treatment and more privacy for in-custody patients.