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woman chained to bed while in labour
Heya, just found this on the net and thought it was really out of order and wondered what everyone else thought.
The whole story is on
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/02/national/02shackles.html
I have copied the interesting bits of the article.
xxx
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.
Though 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."
Despite sporadic complaints and occasional lawsuits, the practice of shackling prisoners in labor continues to be relatively common, state legislators and a human rights group said. Only two states, California and Illinois, have laws forbidding the practice.
"We found this was going on in some institutions in California and all over the United States," Ms. Lieber said. "It presents risks not only for the inmate giving birth, but also for the infant."
Dee Ann Newell, who has taught classes in prenatal care and parenting for female prisoners in Arkansas for 15 years, said she found the practice of shackling women in labor appalling.
"If you have ever seen a woman have a baby," Ms. Newell said, "you know we squirm. We move around."
Twenty-three state corrections departments, along with the federal Bureau of Prisons, have policies that expressly allow restraints during labor, according to a report by Amnesty International U.S.A. on Wednesday.
The whole story is on
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/02/national/02shackles.html
I have copied the interesting bits of the article.
xxx
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.
Though 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."
Despite sporadic complaints and occasional lawsuits, the practice of shackling prisoners in labor continues to be relatively common, state legislators and a human rights group said. Only two states, California and Illinois, have laws forbidding the practice.
"We found this was going on in some institutions in California and all over the United States," Ms. Lieber said. "It presents risks not only for the inmate giving birth, but also for the infant."
Dee Ann Newell, who has taught classes in prenatal care and parenting for female prisoners in Arkansas for 15 years, said she found the practice of shackling women in labor appalling.
"If you have ever seen a woman have a baby," Ms. Newell said, "you know we squirm. We move around."
Twenty-three state corrections departments, along with the federal Bureau of Prisons, have policies that expressly allow restraints during labor, according to a report by Amnesty International U.S.A. on Wednesday.
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Replies
Will send it later today or tomorrow
As for this story!!! It's bang out of order..
Tash+Bump
Not a problem dont worry about it theres no rush.
Are you feeling better now and managing to sleep a bit better? hugs
i know i couldnt believe it when I saw it. Its madness, a breach of basic human rights!!!
xxx
Also the toilets don't have seats because they say it is unhygenic for women to sit down. It is difficult to squat after a C section but I have practiced now in advance.
My Mum can't understand why I give birth here but I've got used to their strange ways and I would have to travel to England 2 months in advance which would be a real hassle so I just get on with it.
surely we move around naturally to help get the baby in the right places to come out... and people can be heavely sadated, rooms can be locked, or even paralised during birth with epidurals so it wouldn't be possible to walk around...
surely it would cause distress during labour which would be passed onto baby who has done nothing wrong apart from be born to a mother who had made badly wrong choices...
perhaps units could be built that were much more sercure and enabled women to have freedom of movement at least with in the room they are giving birth...
people do wrong things for alsorts of reasons and being pregnant does not excuse this - but to think someone may have shop lifted because they were hungry, made to in an abusive relationship, or just made a mistake because shop lifting seemed the better of the other options they may of felt they had ect... - I know we get a sort of amnesia afterwards - but to think THATS your memory of your child coming into the world... you carry that forever!
Of course people who have show very violent behavours and have cause harm should be assessed diffrently - but i do think it should be risk assessed not just run of the mill practice for it to happen...
And to remember that these women are in labour - the idea of running anywhere is a hard choice to make - that is if they are even able - or want to for that matter they idea of withholding medical care from there baby (or them selfs) as things can go wrong during birth - is a big personal risk for them to take!
just a few thoughts! x