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Missouri Senator Hopes to Expand Shackling Ban to Pregnant Jail Inmates

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Seven years ago, Missouri banned the shackling of pregnant people in state prisons.  State Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman, a Republican from Arnold, is hoping to expand the law this year to include city and county jails, 19th news reports. Coleman brings seven years of data to the table, showing that the number of pregnant inmates is fairly small and that complying with it "is not onerous" for the DOC, she said. “We’re able to help keep women who are incarcerated safer.” To shackle pregnant women adds risks, Coleman said, including an increased risk of falls -- "and it can be really dangerous for women not to be able to have their hands to catch themselves," she said. Her bill would outlaw the use of restraints in the third trimester, during labor, and for the first 48 hours postpartum, “except in extraordinary circumstances," which must be documented.  The move to unshackle would put Missouri jails in line with guidance from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. While the bill gives jail employees some discretion over the use of handcuffs, it prohibits the use of leg and ankle restraints and only allows wrist restraints to be used if connected in front of the person’s body, rather than behind their back “to protect the offender and the unborn child in the case of a forward fall.”


Since the shackling ban in state prisons went into effect in 2018, “there haven’t been any reported incidents of a woman in labor trying to harm herself or flee,” said Karen Pojmann, spokesperson for the Missouri Department of Corrections, who estimated that the number of pregnant women incarcerated in state prisons averages between two and 15 on any given day. The Missouri Sheriffs’ Association could not immediately be reached regarding data on pregnant women incarcerated in city and county jails. The legislation would also require all city and county jails to develop intake policies for pregnant people by January 1, 2026, that include mental health evaluations, prenatal vitamins and a nutritious meal plan including an increased calorie intake. It would also prohibit them from being placed in solitary confinement during the first six weeks postpartum, when there’s a greater risk of postpartum depression, and require a female medical professional be present during any prenatal or postpartum medical exams.

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