Prisoners forced to give birth handcuffed to male prison guards

[ArabellaScott]

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

How is that legal?! I feel a letter to the MoJ coming on...

Was going to say the same.

Even if someone has committed a crime, I still believe they should be treated with dignity especially with regards to pregnancy and birth...if you don't, that speaks volumes.

But what about if someone was falsely accused of something and awaiting trial on remand....?

Even if you have no empathy at all for the women (which is pretty worrying in itself) why would you wish harm to the baby who has no choice over where it is born? The mind boggles.

Makes no difference to the baby if mum is handcuffed to a guard.

Really? Have a look at the main reasons women are in prison for.

Don't be silly. Of course it does. What happens to the mother happens to the baby before the birth. If the mother is under great stress it can affect the progress of the labour and increase the risk of harm to both mother and baby.

With the caveat that I have never been in labour myself, so my view of it is formed by TV etc. I should have thought being shackled to anyone or anything would be extremely painful when the body is being subject to violent involuntary movements. We don't put people in prison to torture them.

Don’t be so stupid. Being handcuffed to a male whilst in labour will increase stress hormones coursing through the body, which will in turn affect the unborn baby.
Having your movement restricted could lead to issues in the safe delivery of a baby.
Why don’t you try to stop being a hateful person and look at the bigger picture.

I think even the Victorians would have thought twice about shackling a woman in labour to a guard. I thought we'd got past this after the hoo ha when Ann Widdecombe was Prisons Minister.

Disgusting. Also extremely dumb, because the stress and resulting trauma do not just impact the mothers, but also the babies. This will affect the babies' brains longterm and cost society a lot of money to try to "fix".

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-surrey-66339627.amp

Seems so.

Deprivation of liberty is the punishment, not this horrific treatment.

Giving birth in medically-dangerous circumstances isn't a punishment, it's torture. A birthing woman needs to be able to move freely to minimise the risk of birth injuries.

1. Most women in prison are there for shoplifting, not murder.
2. Human rights are for all humans, not just the ones we like.
3. There's also an innocent baby involved who is at risk of harm.

It can. If the mother is stressed and in needless pain, the baby will be stressed too because the baby can hear what's happening and cortisol crosses the placenta. If the mother is struggling to labour because she doesn't have free movement within the birth suite, for example to stand up or go on all-fours, that can harm the baby too because the baby isn't in the right position, can end up with umbilical cord around neck, etc.

I am disappointed that you have posted this. I'm never going to be able to read your posts on the Litter Tray again without remembering that you are OK with women being handcuffed to men whilst they give birth.

I was going to say that thankfully as a society we're not as vengeful, callous, and uneducated as some posters on this thread, but then I think about the teenger being left to give birth alone to a stillborn baby, and wonder.

Are you joking? There are plenty of studies which show that it is more harmful for both mother and baby. Plus, there is absolutely no need. No woman has ever escaped during labour!

Indeed. The Gaols Act 1823 and the Prisons Act 1835 were both passed before Queen Victoria ascended the throne. The Gaols Act required separate prisons for men and women, female warders in women's prisons, and banned the use of irons and shackles in women's prisons. The Prisons Act established prison inspectors to ensure that these rules were followed.

It is absolutely batshit that we have gone backwards on this by allowing male prison warders, allowing male prisoners as long as they claim to be trans, and are shackling mothers in labour.

Elizabeth Fry is doing a couple of thousand revolutions per minute in her grave right now.

Surely they can wait outside the door? I'm sure a woman in labour isn't going to get far. It can't be pleasant for the prison staff either. I can't believe this is happening in 21st century Britain

Not everyone in prison has broken the law. Most recent example of miscarriage of justice being the Post Office/Horizon scandal. I’m sure attitudes like yours gave the sub-postmasters comfort. /s

as has been said previously, when someone receives a custodial sentence, the intended punishment is the deprivation of liberty. Not the cruel and inhumane conditions described while in jail. Prisoners are still human beings and it is the state’s responsibility to ensure they receive adequate housing, food, clothing and medical treatment.

ETA: The post I was replying to was deleted but I’m sure you can work out who I was addressing.

In fact, didn't one of the wrongly-accused postmistresses have to give birth in prison?

No, she was paroled before her due date and had to give birth with one of those ankle tags on.

I'm rather glad I didn't see the now deleted posts as I'm sure from context that they would have been utterly lacking in humanity towards vulnerable women.