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SENATE
JUDICIARY COMMITTEE TO CONSIDER BILL TO
PREVENT SHACKLING PREGNANT PRISONERS
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Leach |
HARRISBURG,
January 22 –
Sen. Daylin Leach (D-Delaware/Montgomery)
announced that his bill to prevent the
shackling of pregnant prisoners will be
considered by the Senate Judiciary Committee
when it convenes Tuesday.
"Pennsylvania should have
uniform policy that prevents this cruel and
unnecessary practice," Leach said. "No woman
should be restrained during childbirth, when
there is little risk of flight or public
harm, without reason and
accountability."
Senate Bill 1074 would, for the first
time, create a statewide policy to prohibit
the shackling of pregnant women in custody
in Pennsylvania during labor and delivery,
while in transit to a medical facility for
delivery or other pregnancy-related
complication, and for a reasonable period of
time post-delivery.
The bill would allow shackling if the
corrections official believes there is a
risk of flight or a risk to the health and
safety of medical personnel. In the event of
such a risk, the bill would require the
attending corrections official to report the
circumstances leading to the decision to
apply restraints. If the decision was made
on the county level, the report must then be
given to the state Department of
Corrections.
S.B. 1074 would also require that the
Department of Corrections provide a yearly
update to the governor detailing each
instance of shackling made by a county or
state prison. That information would be
made available for public review on the
governor’s website,
www.governor.state.pa.us.
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