Prisoners forced to give birth handcuffed to male prison guards

59 replies

ArabellaScott · 21/02/2025 20:43

https://www.thetimes.com/uk/crime/article/pregnant-women-prison-birth-handcuffed-male-officers-5f0698ks8#Echobox=1740164394-3

Horrific.

'At least two women have come forward over incidents that occurred at HMP Bronzefield in Surrey between 2021 and 2023, with a number of other women also understood to have been affected. Bhatt Murphy Solicitors, who are representing the women, have described it a systematic issue inside the largest female prison in Europe.
The women allege they were handcuffed to male officers, sometimes during antenatal appointments and intimate vaginal examinations, as well as during labour.
One prisoner said she was held in restraints during antenatal appointments and for 48 hours while in labour, at points attached to male staff.
“Being handcuffed and without any privacy, including being chained to a male prison officer, made me feel humiliated and degraded,” she told The Times. “Yes, I had broken the law, but I was still a pregnant woman. I feel I was treated as less than an animal.”'

https://archive.ph/Gk804

OP posts:

SinnerBoy · 23/02/2025 08:11

I remember reading stories about women giving birth, shackled to BEDS in the 90s and the outrage over it. I was under the impression that it had been stopped. I didn't realise that it had been replaced with an even worse practice.

MrsOvertonsWindow · 23/02/2025 08:07

Such an awful story.

Original poster

ArabellaScott · 23/02/2025 07:41

I'm hoping the promises for a massive overhaul/rethink of women's prisons from Shabana Mahmood will come to something.

OP posts:

RethinkingLife · 23/02/2025 02:17

1996 Ministers admitted no escape in such circumstances had happened despite Prison Service defence of practice.

https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1996/jan/09/holloway-prison

But 2001 incident seems to be part of scant history that supports it - overlooking scant resources.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2001/may/15/prisonsandprobation.society

I would be surprised if resources and humanity have improved. There are times when the arc of progress doesn’t seem to bring all along with in an equitable fashion.

Needspaceforlego · 23/02/2025 02:01

That's grim. Surely they could have birth suites within the prison and the equivalent of a "home birth".
Nobody should have to endure that.

It's a full on medical procedure. A woman in labour is hardly going to do a runner

duc748 · 23/02/2025 01:49

Jeez, are we in the Nineteenth century?

UtopiaPlanitia · 23/02/2025 01:46

Horrific way to treat a pregnant woman. Giving birth is stressful enough without being handcuffed and having no say on who is in the room with you. There has got to be a better more humane way of meeting the needs of pregnant women in the prison estate.

Hairyesterdaygonetoday · 23/02/2025 00:26

This is disgusting.

Randomer75 · 21/02/2025 20:57

Grim, and awful for the prison officers too.

They probably told her she was lucky not to have to give birth in her cell.

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