New Regulations Limiting the use of Restraints on Pregnant Inmates in Virginia
I commend the Board of Corrections’ approval of proposed regulations limiting the use of restraints on pregnant inmates. I thank the Board for implementing a compassionate and commonsense policy, and urge the Board to make these proposed regulations final.
I urge the Board of Corrections to include a strong public reporting requirement in the regulations to ensure accountability for and compliance with the regulations. Right now, the proposed regulations do not provide meaningful oversight through public reporting.
National correctional and medical associations oppose the restraint of pregnant women because it is unnecessary and harmful to a woman and her pregnancy. The Federal Bureau of Prisons, the U.S. Marshal Service, the American Correctional Association, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American Medical Association, and the American Public Health Association have recognized that restraining women during labor, delivery, and postpartum recovery is unnecessary and dangerous to a woman’s health and well being and may harm her child.
