DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - Policies dictating how Iowa prisons and other correctional facilities use restraints on pregnant inmates would become a public, uniform code under a plan approved Tuesday by a legislative panel.
The bill would restrict the institutions from using restraints on known pregnant women, particularly during labor, delivery and postpartum recovery, except under certain circumstances. It would also require the correctional institution to develop a birth plan for the inmate, and report all instances of restraint use.
Laying out such rules as a state law would shore up inconsistencies at prisons and other correctional facilities statewide, supporters say. But opponents, including the Iowa Department of Corrections, argue that each institution needs to have the power to change such policies to best protect their staffs.
Sen. Janet Petersen, who chairs the subcommittee that approved the bill Tuesday, said the measure would clarify the level of care inmates receive and publicize how treatment is handled. The bill now moves to the full Senate Judiciary Committee.
“I’m not sure that we will garner the votes, especially if we have law enforcement working against us,” she said. “But that doesn’t mean that it’s not worth bringing up.”
Similar changes were proposed last year, following an investigative series by The Des Moines Register that chronicled the experiences of pregnant women in the state’s prison system and examined the use of restraints. Lawmakers opted not to move forward last year after the Iowa Department of Corrections updated its policy to prohibit the restraint of inmates who have been pregnant for at least 22 weeks unless they pose an immediate risk.
Amy Campbell, of the League of Women Voters of Iowa, said she supports this year’s bill because it would lead to consistency in practices applied across the state.
“What precipitated this is that the Department of Corrections had a policy that was secret, and that policy didn’t change until it was outed,” she said. “With a law, there is power to change that policy.”
But several law enforcement organizations oppose the bill. During the hearing, a Polk County sheriff’s official said correctional facilities should have discretion over such policies to best ensure the safety and security of their personnel and the medical staff.
Susan Cameron, of the Sheriffs and Deputies Association, also testified against the bill, saying that inmates don’t always look out for what’s best for themselves or their unborn children. She said opponents and supporters of the bill need to join forces.
“We truly need to work together to come up with a common sense policy,” Cameron said.
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