Re: Pregnant felons in prision!
The issue of using restraints (handcuffs/shackles) on pregnant and laboring inmates has been in the public eye recently due to various states passing legislation against it. There are inmate advocate groups lobbying to forbid their use after hearing stories of horrible situations - women being in leg irons when ready to deliver and the officer not removing them, so delivery occurred with them on, etc. While I truly do not believe this is the norm, I do believe there needs to be legislation/policy and procedures/etc. to mandate this. The American Correctional Health Services Association (ACHSA) has written a draft Position Paper on this topic, and it is now out to members for comment. It will be voted on at the next Board meeting in July. It basically supports the banning of the shackles/restraints in these circumstances, but also acknowledges that the security aspects (level, escape risk, risk of self -harm, etc) must be considered. It further recommends that female officers accompany a laboring inmate if at all possible. I am not sure if the draft is posted on the website (
www.achsa.org), but if not, I will ask that they do so today. We would be happy to hear from anyone who wants to provide feedback!
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