LEACH MAKES INTERNATIONAL NEWS WITH LEGISLATION TO PREVENT SHACKLING PREGNANT PRISONERS

            HARRISBURG, January 6 – State Sen. Daylin Leach (D-Delaware/Montgomery) made headlines across the pond this morning with a BBC News report on his bill that would prohibit the shackling of pregnant prisoners in Pennsylvania correctional facilities.

            The BBC report followed a Philadelphia woman who struggled through childbirth while fully restrained. The reporter also spoke to officials in the correctional field who support banning the use of shackles except under extraordinary circumstances.

            During the interview, Leach reinforced his argument against shackling pregnant women. He described the improbability that “someone who is nine months pregnant, in labor, and giving birth, is going to leap out of the bed, overpower two armed guards, scale the wall and sprint to freedom.”

            Senate Bill 1074 would prohibit a correctional institution from applying restraints to a

pregnant prisoner immediately before, during, after giving birth, including during transport to a medical facility. Under the bill, restraints may be applied only if the prisoner is deemed a substantial flight risk or a threat to the safety of herself or others. If restraints are applied, the detainee may not be left unattended in case of a medical emergency, and the least restrictive restraints must be used.

            The report will air today on BBC News and the SiriusXM BBC Radio 1 channel. To view the clip on the internet, please visit the BBC News Web site at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8442769.stm.

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