House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda

House of Representatives
Session of 2019 - 2020 Regular Session

Posted:	September 12, 2019 03:13 PM
From:	Representative Mary Jo Daley
To:	All House members
Subject:	Shackling of Incarcerated Pregnant Women

According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, shackling incarcerated women who are pregnant is cruel and inhumane, creating a number of serious health risks for the woman and her child. In response to this issue, in 2010, Pennsylvania passed a law to prohibit the shackling of pregnant inmates after the second trimester. In practice, however, the law is poorly enforced with an investigation conducted by the American Civil Liberties Union uncovering that incarcerated women who are pregnant are frequently shackled but that the shackling is rarely reported, violating state law. For this reason, my legislation will expand restrictions on shackling for incarcerated women who are pregnant, who are in labor, or who have recently given birth. It will also strengthen accountability and reporting requirements to ensure that such protections are no longer ignored. Please join me in protecting the health and safety of Pennsylvania’s women and children.
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Introduced as HB1876