In today’s New York Times Adam Liptak writes that many U.S. prisons keep female prisoners shackled while they are in labor.
Shawanna Nelson, a prisoner at the McPherson Unit in Newport, Ark., had been in labor for more than 12 hours when she arrived at Newport Hospital on Sept. 20, 2003. Ms. Nelson, whose legs were shackled together and who had been given nothing stronger than Tylenol all day, begged, according to court papers, to have the shackles removed.
Although her doctor and two nurses joined in the request, her lawsuit says, the guard in charge of her refused.
“She was shackled all through labor,” said Ms. Nelson’s lawyer, Cathleen V. Compton. “The doctor who was delivering the baby made them remove the shackles for the actual delivery at the very end.”
This is absurd on its face, but only two states — California and Illinois — have laws forbidding the shackling of prisoners in labor. But this is my favorite part:
Corrections officials say they must strike a balance between security and the well-being of the pregnant woman and her child.
“Though these are pregnant women,” said Dina Tyler, a spokeswoman for the Arkansas Department of Corrections, “they are still convicted felons, and sometimes violent in nature. There have been instances when we’ve had a female inmate try to hurt hospital staff during delivery.”
Listen, Dina, laboring women who are not convicts have tried to hurt hospital and delivery staff during delivery. (A couple of hours before my daughter entered the world I tried to get out of bed to strangle a nurse. True story. She wouldn’t bring me ice chips! What was I supposed to do?)
However, women in labor rarely become homicidal or escape from hospitals by tying sheets together and lowering themselves out of the window. This is especially true once the contractions are two minutes apart or less. Two minutes or less doesn’t give you time to accomplish much.
The shackles really are cruel, because laboring women need to be able to move around, sometimes even walk around. It helps.
On the other hand I wouldn’t hand a loaded gun to a woman in labor — especially while the baby’s father’s in range.
I heard about this story on Air America Radio News today.
What kind of animals do this to people? Its unbelievable.
It reveals a complete lack of common sense, that’s for sure.
Seems to be a horrible example of sickos having yet another [rationalized] opportune venue for hating/punishing women.
I suppose, reading about this after reading the news out of Abu Graib…..we better take a deeper look at some sick strains that have invaded public positions.
Shackles are cruel and humiliating. I would think most of the time they are not needed. They should be allowed on violent prisoners only. I remember a young 9 year old boy was arrested late at night and shackeled, in Colorado, held in prison with adults because he was accused of having molested a little sister.
Are we a civilized society or not?
Arkansas…hmmmmm…res ipsa loquitor dudes.